#i had a dream about the animation in the episode and it might be a case of deja vu

[sebadztian]

I finally watched the newest episode and I have thoughts. This isn't like the usual live reaction that I did for the episode, so my thoughts would be all over the place instead of following the sequence of the scenes.

Spoilers for EP06 and chapter 94-95 of the manga.

This is the part that antis like to use to argue that:

1. Sebas & Ciel hate each other

2. Ciel is now scared of him and the trust between them was broken.

However, as I've said over and over again, this scene serves to prove that those are not true.

And seeing it animated only cemented the truth that we've known all along. Those two have built a very strong bond between them and this is the absolute proof of the strength of the said bond.

This is clear in the manga and the anime emphasized that even further, simply because we can actually hear their tone instead of just reading their words in speech bubbles.

For example, I've never thought that Sebastian would use English in this scene.

I think they did a good job in making the tentacles/shadows look 'alive'. It wasn't 'inky' like it was in the manga, it looked more like hundreds of... uh... things... like a swarm of... insects...?

And fangs. Lots and lots of fangs and it was glorious! Sebas is especially fangy this season and I'm here for it!

The only... well, not really a disappointment, but I had wished that rhey'd made his eyes glow in a more reddish colour instead of keeping them brown. I've been having some issues with Sebas' eye colour since last season and while I've grown to like them, I wished they'd made his eye glow bright instead of keeping it as it is when he's in his demonic form. It's kind of... dull.

On the other hand, I love his smirks when Ciel reached for him in his 'dream' and then again after Ciel had finally been 'cured'.

I see Sebas is a believer in the exposure therapy, although he used a more shocking approach instead of gradual exposure.

I still cannot make up my mind on what actually happened, what the chessboard was, and why RC was there. I don't think it was Sebas LARPing as RC, but then again, he seemed like he was aware of what was going on and also the fact that he was there.

Again, if Sebas had really wanted to eat Ciel, he didn't need to go out of his way to give that speech about boring ending and all that. He could just say: "You've violated our contract terms by abandoning your quest for revenge. Goodbye." Nom nom nom...

But no... he went out of his way to give that speech, taunting Ciel and in the end, when it had worked, he had looked so relieved. I did a more detailed analysis of this scene in one of my posts here.

Finny... God, Finny, my best boi... he really does care about Ciel. He even stood his ground against his supervisor's direct order to protect Ciel. I love him so much!

Sebas is more demonic in this episode compared to any other episode in the entire anime. Yes, even more than that time when he fought that angel with gender identity issue. The tension was there when he slowly made his way to the bed, his serious expression, the way the tail of his coat swished when he pushed past Finny...

We're going to see Diedrich in the next episode!

This episode convinced me even more that JB is not a human and Sebas might know it. His parting words sounded a bit sarcastic to me? And of course, the way that they seemed to 'study' each other and regarded each other with a 'knowing' look as JB left. Given how he treated his horse, I half-expected him to carry that animal across the forest. Also, if he didn't want to ride it, why did he bring it along in the first place? Maybe that horse is his familiar...?

How on earth does Bard manage to talk and laugh and yell while still keeping that stick of cigarette in his mouth? I tried (with Pocky) and it fell off as soon as I opened my mouth.

[questionablecuttlefish]

Okay Fine Let's Talk Timebomb and Season Two.

I do want to talk about this because I have a Lot of thoughts and feelings and it has been building up and building up, not only based on what's happening in other social spaces, but what people keep bringing into mine despite my best efforts to avoid it.

This isn't any kind of hatepost, I don't think I could hate Ekko or the ship if I tried, I just want to explain my very mixed feelings about the whole thing.

My likely-to-be-very unpopular take on Season Two's Timebomb romance is that it left me feeling uneasy and uncomfortable.

Not with what was in the show itself, I feel like that was perfect. Powder and Ekko sold me completely. They made me feel things. I even liked how Ekko and Jinx's story ended. I think it was beautiful, poignant, perfect...

...until.

'The Discourse' since, the way the fan culture has exploded around it, and particularly some of the creators' commentary on it, has made me sour on the whole thing.

It feels like I'm suddenly part of an increasingly small subset of people who saw what they did with S2 Timebomb and applied our media literacy to what was on our screens and got something very different to what the fandom consensus seems to be.

For context, I semi-shipped TB before this. Though I've always been Team Lightcannon, I had a lot of respect for timebomb, I understood it, I had read a few very good fics, I was just in the space of "Jinx has hurt Ekko too much for him to ever fully forgive her for murdering his friends, they might come to an understanding, and there will always be a silent undercurrent of love beneath the hurt, they may fight together on the same side again someday, but whatever bond they had as kids is broken and they can't go back, and both know it."

I respected, and still do, people who shipped them romantically, but I've always seen them as a broken childhood friendship being a much more interesting dynamic, and being hot for each other lessening that to an extent and not really adding anything to it.

All of his interactions with Jinx in season one are violent; she murders five Firelights point-blank in front of him in her intro scene, and Ekko reacts particularly upset to the pink-haired girl, Eve or Eva, whom Jinx shoots in the back. It's clear this isn't even the first time she's fought them. We don't know how many of Ekko's found family she's put on the Memorial Wall or how close he was with any of them.

Ekko is clearly convinced that "Powder" is gone, and the person who replaced her is a cold-blooded killer who can't be reasoned with. Leading to the Bridge confrontation, and this:

This is the first time Ekko catches a glimpse of "Powder", yes, but more importantly, this is the first moment he recognizes Jinx's humanity. He's hurting her, killing her, and he can't do it.

....and she knows he can't do it.

So, to save him the weight, she pulls a grenade, with the intent to kill them both, foreshadowing quite neatly where Ekko/Jinx (but not Ekko/Powder) is going to go in S2.

Fast forwarding from Season One here, Ekko disappears for 2/3rds of the second season, completely offscreen.

When we catch up with him he's woken up in the S2E7 AU; the Powder Timeline.

Here's where I start to get a little confused by the fandom take. Because, you know, I've seen enough Star Trek and Stargate and Supernatural and Batman the Animated Series and Quantum Leap to know exactly what this is.

This is the 'bottle episode', this is the 'Perfect World' trope, where the protagonists find themselves in an alternate universe - or trapped in a dream - or they've died or think they've died and this is their 'heaven' - where they have everything they ever wanted.

This is familiar storytelling and E7 follows a familiar pattern, the protagonist struggles to adapt to the surreal new circumstances, they are seduced by the illusion, particularly falling in love with someone in the Perfect World, but eventually, they start noticing something incongruous - something isn't quite right - (In this case, it's Vi's death, and Powder holding back her genius and hiding her grief to be support girl for others) - that reveals the Perfect World to be not as perfect as it seems.

And the hero has to choose to go home, because he realizes that this isn't real, it doesn't belong to him, he doesn't belong here.

Which is exactly what happens with Ekko in E7.

Which brings is to AU!Powder and Jinx.

And here's where I really start to struggle with the seeming consensus that the romance between Ekko/Powder automatically leads to Ekko/Jinx, like you can just transfer the one to the other.

I'm sorry, fam, I thought my basic media literacy was telling me that this girl:

Is not the same person as this girl:

....and I am not getting into any debate about "Jinx" vs "Powder" as identities within our current Jinx. I'm talking about Powder in the E7 AU.

AU!Powder is literally a different human being.

She may have been the same person up until the explosion in Jayce's laboratory, but from that fork in the timeline, she becomes a FUNDAMENTALLY different person to Jinx, shaped by different experiences, different relationships, different life events.

Powder's physicality with Ekko, as you can see in those GIFs, the casual intimacy, the clear affection, the way she touches him, looks at him, her awareness of him in her space, is so utterly opposite to the way Jinx interacts with him that if anything, it nailed home to me how savagely absent this kind of feeling is from his relationship with Jinx.

Powder loves Ekko. She leans on him, snuggles into him, touches his hands, dances with him, kisses him.

Jinx cares so little about him she barely makes eye contact and would casually kill him without blinking.

And I thought that was the point.

I really thought that was the whole point of E7. Being in the perfect world, getting his perfect love story with his perfect Powder, the girl Jinx could have been, but can never be, drove home for Ekko that his feelings for Jinx, both romantic and resentful, were tangled up in his illusions of "Powder", and it took living those illusions as a physical reality for Ekko to see his mistake.

To be true to himself, and true to her, Ekko had to let that go and go home.

To face his world's Jinx, and be there for her in her darkest moment, even if it meant giving up the love he'd found with Powder, a love that belonged to a different Ekko, for someone who could never love him back.

To me that was Ekko's most heroic moment, an act of selfless sacrifice. But that's what it was - a sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Season Two Jinx is not aware of any of this. The last time she saw Ekko was on the bridge where she nearly killed him, and for all we know she might have thought she succeeded.

She never talks about, thinks about, refers to, or even has scribble-nightmares about Ekko, not even once.

Season Two Jinx is, instead, having a love story of her own.

And Isha was and is a PUZZLE to me. Because she's more plot device than character, she isn't necessary except as a way to give Jinx a villain-to-hero arc and a way to reconnect to her humanity.

But she could have been Ekko.

If they really, really wanted us to have Timebomb Canon, instead of confining the entire arc to a bottle episode in an alternate timeline with a literally, physically different girl, they could easily have given all of Isha's considerable screentime to an Ekko and Jinx romance.

I'm sure Amanda Overton would have been on board with that. But that's not what we got. It's almost like reading two different fix-it-fanfics for the same character, put into the same show and running in parallel.

I'm not crazy, this is what's happening for Ekko in s2;

While this is happening for Jinx at the same time.

But Jinx's love story, too, ends with a tragic sacrifice.

And here's where the two stories finally intersect.

When Jinx is in her darkest moment, her absolute rock bottom, Ekko comes back into her life, a miracle, impossible, a Boy Savior.

But she's still ready to kill him.

Because she didn't dance with Ekko. She didn't invent a time machine with him. She didn't sit and watch the city lights with him and share a tender kiss and a heartfelt gift.

That was Powder.

Jinx and Ekko are resuming right where they left off on the bridge, right back to "I pull this pin and we both blow up".

They've both loved and lost, but their stories are absolutely unknown to each other. Ekko Doesn't Know About Isha. Jinx Doesn't Know About Powder.

It's only when Jinx (a genius, a reminder here) sees monkeys of her own design inside the Z-drive - recognizes her own handiwork, but knows SHE didn't make those - that, I think, sheer curiosity stirs her out of her darkness.

She has to know what that was about. She hesitates, just long enough for Ekko to speak. And, though offscreen, he tells her his story, and maybe she tells him hers.

And it's enough, just enough, to set Jinx back on her Redemption Arc, to become the hero Isha always saw in her.

Maybe even the hero Vi and Ekko saw in her, too. Her new costume is full of references to all of the people in her life who never gave up on her.

(side note, the yellow stars and crowns puzzle me, though - they're quite prominent, but who are THEY for? Isha? Maybe? Yellow isn't a color associated with anyone in Jinx's life, but that crown's identical to the one she scribbled on Demacia in Fortiche's map, is... this a very subtle future Lightcannon tease? Nah. I'm not that crazy.)

I mean her costume is also almost literally both a Fishbones and a Fiddlesticks cosplay, with her hair as Fiddle's tongue, so take from that what you will.

It's clear Jinx and Ekko war painted each other for the battle, but the Firelights are also similarly painted up, and (with Linke even confirming this) there really wasn't time to develop anything else, guys.

And I am, honestly, fundamentally angry at anyone who would suggest that, even if she'd been in any space to want it, our boy Ekko, one of the most genuinely good men in recent fiction let alone in Arcane, would take advantage of a girl he just talked out of suicide.

Moving on. During the battle, Ekko is knocked out and lying not far from Jinx. She doesn't even look at him, she leaps up to defend Vi instead.

And that's their final interaction on the show.

Instead of returning to Ekko, Jinx chooses one final act of sacrifice.

Ekko's final shot of the show is this.

He's sitting, alone, burning a mourning paper, where he sat with AU!Powder - where he and AU!Powder kissed - a place that has no significance to himself and Jinx, whatsoever.

It's little wonder who he's thinking about here, and which name he's burning on that paper. The girl he truly loved and lost.

For all he knows, Jinx is dead. But it's not only her he's mourning.

Or maybe he does know, or suspect, she's alive.

But either way, he's making one final act of sacrifice, too, with that paper burning into the breeze.

He's letting her go.

He's choosing his own story.

He's staying where he belongs.

Jinx may have become a symbol of the revolution, but it's Ekko who is, and always will be, the true hero of Zaun.

And this is Jinx's final shot.

Because let's face it, we all know she's on that airship.

She's "breaking the cycle". She's "walking away". She knows that Jinx has left too many scars on the people she still loves - on Vi, on Ekko, on the cities of Piltover and Zaun - for her to pick up the pieces.

She knows that if she's going to find out what "Jinx" might stand for now, she has to go very far away from everything and everyone. She has to leave it all behind and find something new.

Maybe even someone new?

And ultimately, that's why I feel the Timebomb we got was perfect, they shouldn't touch it, they shouldn't try to force it to be "Endgame", not because it couldn't have worked, but because that's the opposite of the story they told.

For the rest of my analysis, lol, this got a bit long but i have FEELINGS.

Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't buy Jinx and Ekko as a love story if they had actually told that love story. But they didn't. It had no screen time. They have less interactions in S2, maybe even in both seasons added up, than Vi and Loris. Let that sink in a bit.

We know it's Amanda's favorite ship, so she may have intended more, and may even actually give us all more at some point, but please, dear god, let's stop pretending they fucked or kissed or even held hands offscreen.

That's honestly a bit insulting to both of these characters, to insist hell or high water that this very important milestone in their relationship happened, but they just didn't even bother to depict it. That an entire love story (because it would be a whole one, remember, Ekko and Powder had a romance but Jinx did not experience any of that, she and Ekko are back at Square One) would just be cut for time.

They both deserve better than that.

Let's stop pretending there was some grand, horny, Forever Love story with 60 minutes of cut footage, all of it timebomb content, somehow left on the cutting room floor of an animated show where every single frame has to be deliberately hand painted.

Because if in some insane universe they had written, storyboarded, voice acted and animated an entire 60 minute additional timebomb storyline and then cut it from the show, that would itself be a searing indictment of the quality of the storytelling in that imagined arc, but that's not what happened. Anyone who knows how filmmaking works would shoot this one down, and the showrunners already have, so let's leave it behind.

I know Timebomb blew up hard, and I get it, but what we got on the screen is not confirmation that there is any relationship at all between Ekko and Current Timeline Jinx. If anything, Ekko and Powder's beautiful romance only highlighted the tragic 'never to be' of Ekko and Jinx.

And it's absolutely fine to look at the art book, look at the creator comments, and imagine what could have been. Draw the fan art, write the fanfic, imagine the what-ifs and the fix-its, those are all beautiful and valid expressions and deserve their space.

But don't go insisting it's "the canon" and going after the shippers of other ships for these characters as "not canon" or somehow offensive for existing, especially toward one particular ship that, yes, has been around much longer than timebomb, is uncool.

I think this is mostly people who are New From Arcane, it's Baby's First Ship and they don't know how to share space. The timebomb fans I knew pre-season two didn't do this, at least not often enough for me to notice or care.

But I'll just say to them, if a Timebomb follow up happens and they actually tell a good love story for Ekko and Jinx, I will accept it. Grudgingly, because I think Lux/Jinx is an untold, untapped story full of incredible character dynamics that would complete Jinx's story in ways that as much as I love Ekko, he's too tied to her past, he can't.

But I love Ekko, and I love Jinx, and I will accept it.

But I'll also say to them, if the followup doesn't eventuate, if things take a turn they don't expect, if Jinx's airship is heading for Demacia, maybe they'll have to experience just a taste of what it's been like for Lightcannon fans for ten long years.

And maybe that's healthy. Maybe that's okay. Maybe our endgames don't need to be 'canon' to have value and that's a lesson we should learn.

Maybe there's a new Light on her horizon, and that's okay too. Maybe Ekko won't be alone forever. Don't forget - until Arcane - his story had nothing to do with Jinx, and there was a whole lot of it.

More with the Firelights, maybe bring in the original Lost Children of Zaun from his old stories, his inventions, his parents, all could yet be in his future. Who knows? He might find a way back to AU!Powder - or she might rebuild what they worked on together, and come to him, no matter what butterfly effects that could set in motion...

But if Jinx is heading for a Light on her horizon, maybe Ekko might Explore some of his possibilities. Find a new Spark of connection. Just saying. Jinx isn't his only ship, either 😌

And it is okay for people to move on, and let go. Maybe, for two characters whose themes are letting go of the past, living in the moment, redefining their identities, and moving on, that's what their story should be.

[demonpiratehuntress]

wake up, i need you

OPLA!Zoro x F!Reader

summary - you're more affected by his injury than anyone else, but at least this gives you a chance to confess without immediate rejection?

warnings - slight angst, mentions of blood and injury

a/n - as i'm only around 420 episodes into the anime, i'm not sure if anyone has the devil fruit power i'm giving the reader here. if so, i'm sorry

You'd never seen so much blood before.

Especially not gushing out of him like that.

The moment they carried him through that door you froze, your mind going blank. You hadn't been prepared for a situation like this - always believing that he was the strongest person you knew. Still was, just...

Even as they laid him on the counter, everything blurred around you. The rest of the crew's voices became muffled, the world - or more specifically, your world - turning on its side.

"(Name)?"

Your feet finally carried you away from the scene, each step slow, unsteady and more painful than the last.

You couldn't look at him. You wouldn't.

"Sit down, love."

You don't know who guided you to the seat, you barely even registered the voice that spoke. But you were seated moments later, staring blankly into space as your mind raced to catch up with reality.

You didn't know when, but you finally snapped out of your trance and quietly made your way to Nami's room, where they'd left him. Laying there, looking even paler than normal, bandages covering his torso. Laying there lifeless, still as a doll.

Everyone else was gone - left to defend the Baratie from Arlong. You'd been told to stay, or at least that's what you thought Usopp had said. You were too emotional to fight, you'd just get hurt too.

So you sat with him.

The chair next to the bed felt cold as you lowered your tense, stiff body into it. Hands clasped together anxiously on your lap, nervously fidgeting with your fingers, you sat in what felt like an awkward, unbearable silence that stretched on for a while.

Finally, when you couldn't hold it in anymore, you spoke.

"You're so stupid," you whispered, no real bite behind your words.

No response.

You breathed in deeply, exhaling shakily as you closed your eyes for a moment, collecting yourself. Then, when you found your voice again, you continued.

"You idiot." Your hand hovered over his arm, trembling fingers hesitant to touch his skin. Fearing the coldness they might feel. "I...why did you do this to me?" Something wet rolled down your cheek, but this time you didn't stop the flood.

"I wanted you to fulfil your dream," you confessed, your voice barely above a whisper. "But it's hard to support it now that it's almost stolen you from us. From me." Another shaky breath, your bottom lip trembling as you gripped the hem of your shirt like you were about to rip it.

"I don't want...I can't..." You choked on your words, struggling for a moment before speaking again. "You have to wake up, Zoro. You have to. Please, I...I don't want to have to do this without you. I can't." Your voice cracked at the next part, "I can't imagine waking up and not seeing your face, and that stupid green hair, even if you're still sleeping late into the morning. I can't imagine not hearing your stupid voice, even if you're saying something utterly ridiculous or arguing with someone on the crew." Adding 'stupid' wasn't intentional, just your frustration bleeding into your words.

"Please, Zoro," you pleaded quietly, your voice weak and vulnerable.

"I love you."

"Arlong, wait!"

Your head snapped up, your sorrow draining completely as you heard the next few words out of your navigator's mouth.

"I have the map."

You stood immediately, looking at Zoro for a moment. Leaning down, you pressed a soft, gentle kiss to his cheek before exiting, emerging to see Arlong holding your captain by his throat.

Nami telling him to let the sea kill Luffy.

You crouched down, your fingers finding a broken plank on the ground. Your eyes glossed over, pure silver replacing your usual (eye colour). The plank turned into a silver spike, heavy and cold in your hand as you slowly rose to your feet. You didn't even wait for Nami to talk Arlong out of killing Luffy himself, you threw the spike at the fishman's leg and crippled him, catching him by surprise.

After he left with Nami - a shocking betrayal that you just couldn't bring yourself to dwell on right now - you ran to where Sanji was hauling your captain out of the water.

Though lucky for you - and your emotions - Luffy was fine.

When you got back to the Merry, reeling after the events of recent, you collapsed into a chair at the kitchen counter and buried your face in your hands. Everyone left you alone, figuring you needed your space, but offered supportive taps on your shoulder.

Then...

"ZORO!"

Your entire body stiffened, heartbeat beginning to pick up. Was he really..? Did Luffy just..?

But you didn't have the courage to stand up and face him. Your body remained frozen in place, your heart and mind conflicted on what it should do. Your heart told you to run to him, your mind told you the opposite. So you just sat there, heart pounding, fear of what he might say to you - if he even heard you - filling your mind.

"(Name)!" Luffy called. "Zoro's awake!"

But before you could even get up, the swordsman was standing in the doorway. Your eyes locked, and for a moment none of you moved.

Then Zoro closed the distance in three long strides, and within seconds his larger frame loomed over yours. His hands on the table, trapping you between him the counter. Leaving no room for you to escape - he truly knew you well, even after mere weeks of being a crew.

"Say it again."

Your eyes widened, your mouth opening to ask him what he meant.

"I want to know that you meant it."

Instantly you deflated, shoulders sagging as your expression turned downcast, "I meant it, Zoro. Every word."

"So say those last ones again," he urged, desperation just barely evident in his voice. Then, quieter so only you could hear, he added, "Please."

"I love you," you breathed out, immediately responding to his plea.

His eyes flashed with something - vulnerability? affection? - before his hand found its way to your face, and with a gentleness never seen before from him, he cupped your cheek.

"Say it again," he murmured, his deep voice strained with emotion.

"I love you."

He hummed, fingers moving to your chin to delicately tilt your head up so that he could kiss you. His lips were warm against your own, moving urgently and desperately.

"You won't have to do anything without me," he pulled away slowly, hesitantly, not wanting to. "That's my vow to you."

Your eyes welled up, a smile tugging at your lips, "Good. Idiot."

He chuckled.

"So...my voice and my hair are stupid, hm?"

Your eyes widened again.

[heartofbusan]

Jungkook's kind eyes betray his inner desire for connection.

I adore his open stare. Confident and unafraid of its reception being unwelcome by the subject of his honest gaze.

“Hearts are connected when we lock eyes”

What Jungkook sees when he looks Jimin in the eyes is a mirror reflection of his own emotions.

Research has shown that gazing at one another stimulates mirroring behavior and even the synchronization of various unconscious physiological processes. For social animals, eye contact is important for alignment.

'Cooperation is pivotal for society to flourish. To foster cooperation, humans express and read intentions via explicit signals and subtle reflections of arousal visible in the face. Evidence is accumulating that humans synchronize these nonverbal expressions and the physiological mechanisms underlying them, potentially influencing cooperation.'

"He’s a very strong person. I'm encouraged and motivated by him. We're similar, including the stage-loving part, and we're in a relationship where we can understand each other. I’m thankful for you always being enthusiastic and moving towards your dream"

During episode 5 of AYS?! Jungkook and Jimin, as they shared the same single braincell, mused: 'Imagine if we had met as same age friends'.

'We would have been copies of each other', Jimin says. 'Annoying our teachers.' There is a pause before he says that, a wealth of possibilities, different timelines floating in his head. They laugh it off,.... but to me, that idea stuck.

Jungkook’s initial thought intrigued me. I couldn't completely grasp his meaning. Sure, he said it because, at that moment, they were telepathically synced up. Yes, they're a lot alike. They share history. But to be the same age? What lay behind this 'desire', so freely expressed?

I suppose it runs deeper than what my superficial knowledge of Korean culture can discern. Meaning: To me, it felt like I couldn't grasp it fully because the rules of hyarchigal age structures in Korean society are not ingrained for me. I superficially understand honorifics. The rest must be lived to understand fully. The closest I can understand is that there is a certain power an elder holds over you, and you hold over a younger person. As one Korean food blogger once said, and I am paraphrasing: "Once people [at the gathering] knew I was the youngest of the group, the tables turned, all former deference and admiration vanished and they ordered me around like I was their lackey."

Rules one must live by because society says so. Does that sound familiar? Something someone might want to, at times, do away with? 🤔

To Jungkook, this comment about wishing they had MET as the same age friends must have run deep. It hinted at a scar, a wound healed years before. It's a very intimate comment, imho. Probably a great conversation starter for another night, but here, in this tiny restaurant on a snowy day in Japan, it was a glimpse of the various layers their relationship is cocooned in.

Friends, brothers, partners, and perhaps even lovers.

As I was watching or reading or trying to parse my thoughts regarding Jikook, this comment kept nagging at me. And I think I'm settling on this:

What Jungkook is expressing is the fact that with Jimin, he already feels like the same age friend. What if these arbitrary barriers society has rigged up around them weren't there? This hierarchical structure demands subservience and patronage in equal measure and that became uncomfortable once Jungkook realized that with Jimin, their relationship demanded something completely different.

It hinted at a certain freedom they could have had If he had a choice. The freedom to have something malleable and wholly their own. Something to cherish in a society that demanded you follow the arbitrary rules.

Jungkook doesn’t do well with rules. He loves to pave his own way. Especially once you outgrow the rules. When the rules don't serve your desire.

In that moment, he's saying something to Jimin that I am sure Jimin already knows. So his 'confession' is towards us, the viewer, 'I already feel like those barriers are non-existent when I'm with Jimin.'

“When I naturally meet eyes with Jimin and high five him after a concert. I feel like I’m especially connected to Jimin in some ways on stage and off stage too”

Jungkook's wish, his desire, was to have been Jimin’s equal. To have been standing on the same level of the hyarchigal structure of society. So that there had been 0 boundaries to cross and maneuver around when it came to their relationship. Maybe just less boundaries, because there were boundaries a plenty between them.

Because I really do feel like overcoming those issues was part of what caused them friction, especially in the beginning. He might have wanted to have a semblance of normalcy when it comes to their relationship. So much of what they deal with is mired in secrecy and obfuscation. Hiding and pretending. Those are not things that go well with Jungkook’s personality. He's pretty straight in that regard... 😌

What a relief to have had someone you could feel at ease with. Someone to look up to. Who's work ethic is impossibly high, as high as yours is. Someone who's driving force is to share, to love, to perform. I'll never take anything away from either of them in regards to other members, but this has to be said:

'When Jungkook looks at Jimin, he sees his equal.'

‘Even if i don't say it, i’m watching you Jimin-ssi’

Thanks to @goldenhickeyss for help with content sourcing!!

[dl-drama-cd]

Why fandom decided that Laito had sex with Cordelia?

My position: they never had sex. Bloodsucking only. Not without a certain reason. I would like to prove that claimimg they were sexual lovers is not correct at all.

Watching the anime only and without any accompanying sources you might not even guess any sex. However the fact that Laito was in love and desired his own mother is obvious. In s01e04 he sighs glaring at the moon remembering the smell, the voice of his beloved' swears eternal love to her; in s01e08 he having pushed his mother off the balcony said that now she belongs only to him forever; in s01e11 he expresses regret that he doesn't see her in hell, and in s01e12 while her dressburning he mumbles something about her (maybe Karl's also but due to contex it must be about Cordelia) and Richter's actions to them.

s01e04:

愛してます. いつまでも いつまでも いつまでも. あなたが望むと望まざるとにかかわらず. 一瞬たりとも あなたのこと忘れたことなんかない. あなたの声 あなたの匂い すべて覚えてる. Laito: I love you. Always, always, forever. Whether you want it or not. I've never forgotten you for a moment. Your voice, your smell, I remember everything.

s01e08:

これで永遠に僕だけのものになったね Laito: Now you belong to me only forever.

s01e11:

次に会う時は地獄だと思ってたよ Laito: I thought the next time we met would be in hell. 期待に添えなくて、残念だわ Yuidelia: It's a shame it didn't live up to expectations. いや 期待以上だよ Laito: No, it's beyond expectations.

s01e12:

一つだけ明らかな真実を教えてあげるよ Laito: I'll tell you the only obvious truth. 僕たちはもう二度と叔父上やあの人に振り回されない Laito: That person and you, Uncle, will never be able to wield us again.

Cordelia in s01e08 asked Laito to save her and, holding out her bloody hand, said that she truly loved him:

ライト 私を助けなさい Cordelia: Laito, save me.

ライト 愛してるわ Cordelia: Laito, I love you. 本当に Cordelia: Really.

And that's the whole story of their relationship in anime.

Unlike Ayato who was thrown into the lake in s01e02 and said to live at the its' bottom in s01e07 Laito seems having no reason to hate his mother but the fact that he desired her is an indisputable (his 'you're mine forever').

No official source desribed it as sexual relationship. Never.

This was only thought up by the fans themselves.

Analyzing DL keep in mind key aspects that important to understand the story:

1. the title is based on a bloodsucking fetish: bloodish is a much more intimate process than simply eating, it's erotic; 2. Laito and others are demonic creatures with a distorted nature, they don't feel like humans and have no human heart; 3. DL women are weak fisicallly and magically; 4. Cordelia's blood and even its' smell drove vampires crazy.

In the first game there are only two oddy episodes that fans automatically saw as sex.

1. DL Laito Dark Epilogue. Laito has a dream of Cordelia coming to him: she says that she is 'not enough' and that she 'loves' him, he promises to 'give her love'. 2. DL Laito Maniac Epilogue. After killing some man Cordelia asks Laito to give her 'warmth'.

The rest flashbacks do not hint at anything at all. Imprisonment in a dungeon (DL Laito Maniac Prologue) and a request to help killing Karlheinz (DL Laito Ecstasy Prologue), Cordelia's murder (DL Laito Ecstasy Epilogue).

But inside Yui Cordelia called her son a 奴隷. It seems to be a special term, we would return to it.

That made fans decide that the mother sex with her own son. If Laito and Cordelia would be human, not bloodsucking demons, I would agree with fans. But from the start I passed the games I noticed many details in Laito's logic that were not that simple.

We have a blood-drinking fetish. Cordelia had special blood. So this story may be more complicated.

More, Blood. There are only two flashbacks with Laito and Cordelia. Dark Prologue and Ecstasy Epilogue. In MB Dark Prologue Laito asks Cordelia in bedroom 'why doing such a thing'. Cordelia answers because she loves him and what a place in a world where any mother doesn't love her child. Laito answers that's 'here'.

Fans again decide that Laito is hinting at sexualized 'love' between him and his mother.

In MB Dark Epilogue and MB Ecstasy Prologue the butler of their castle invited Laito to Cordelia. Laito provocatively asked the reason. To the butler's unfinished answer Laito only grinned and called him a 'bad old man'.

In MB Ecstasy Prologue Ayato tried to hammer into his brother that Cordelia didn't love any of them.

MB Dark Prologue, MB Dark Epilogue, MB Maniac Epilogue are episodes which his relationship with the maid Hilde are shown as he decided to use words of love for his own purposes and to seduce her. His monologues also are hardly grasp their essence, it is often unclear who Laito is talking about - himself, someone or in general.

Dark Fate. Laito refused to acknowledge Cordelia as his mother but Richter scolded him for this. Yui wanted a solution to this problem.

DF Laito Maniac Epilogue. Laito himself suggested to his mother to forget about 'that person' because she already 'has him'. Cordelia snapped that Laito is not Karlheinz and is not a replacement of him. And her answer really affected him ('If not a replacement who am I?')

DF Laito Vampire End. Laito having already learned about his father's experiments makes a grave for Cordelia, calls her 'kaa-san' for the first time and says goodbye to her.

In SS for the Dark Fate game he again refers to her 'kaa-san': 'Ayato and Kanato have mom's blood, so they would be okay' (true-sweet-moments).

Lost Eden. Laito only remembers Cordelia once comparing her to Yui whom he suspects of cheating on Kino (LE Laito Ecstasy Prologue).

Lunatic Parade. Yui stutters about ｢裏切り｣ = Laito's 'betrayal' by Cordelia in his childhood (LP Laito Chapter 2).

Chaos Lineage. Some episodes with Yui's heartbeat and her avoiding Laito memorizing Cordelia again.

That's all. That made fans thinking Cordelia and Laito had sex.

The CD-drama Versus II Ayato vs Laito even pushed fans to decide that Cordelia raped her son when he was a child. But again Laito's words are not about it.

However I repeat our bloodsucking story with giving blood that means too much and Cordelia's special blood suggests a much more difficult story. So then we would learn all the fanbooks, descriptions, dramas and other characters' (especially Kanato and Ayato) conversations to understand what it was. Sex or bloodsucking only.

[silent-stories]

𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

Pairing: Noah Sebastian x reader

Summary: Noah has trouble sleeping. Except when he's with you.

Tw: anxiety, insomnia, fluff

Noah had always struggled with sleeping. For as long as he could remember, a good night of sleep had been a distant dream, something just out of reach.

His head was always full of thoughts and his chest was heavy with an imaginary yet so real weight.

Nights were the hardest for him—his mind raced with thoughts, overanalyzing everything: the smallest doubts, the big uncertainties of life, songs he was working on but couldn't get perfect, the upcoming shows, and a problem with band merch he ordered but hadn't arrived yet.

His body would feel the tension, the weight of exhaustion, but his mind wouldn't cooperate. It was a never-ending cycle that left him frustrated, drained, and sometimes even a little hopeless.

But then, there was you. You had been by his side for years, through everything. You were there when Bad Omens was just a small band doing shows that had a maximum of one hundred people in the audience, and you were there when he sang on stage with Oli Sykes.

You were the one constant, the one person who seemed to understand him in a way no one else did, not even Nicholas and the rest of the band, sometimes. And, strangely, whenever you were around, sleep became easier to grasp.

It was subtle at first. He didn’t realize it right away, but whenever you were near him, whether sitting next to him on his bed after a long day, lying on the couch watching Tokyo Ghoul until late, or simply hanging out at your place and chatting during the night, he found himself drifting off faster than he ever could alone. It wasn't like any magic trick, or some profound change in his routine. It was you. You were the one who somehow made sleep feel less like a battle.

At first, Noah dismissed it, unsure of what was going on. He wondered if it was the way you were there—your presence somehow conforting him. Maybe it was the calming energy you exuded without even trying. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something about you that eased him. He thought it might be the warmth of your body near his, your soft laugh in the silence of the night, the way your hand played with his fingers while watching a stupid movie.

There was something comforting about your closeness, how you made him feel safe enough to finally let go. Maybe it was the way you allowed him to rest his head on your stomach, feeling the soft rise and fall of your breath, the rhythmic beat of your heart. It became his anchor. With you nearby, he could finally relax. And, somehow, he found himself falling asleep much quicker than ever before.

Noah didn’t quite understand why it worked this way. You two had been friends for so long that it never crossed his mind to analyze the situation. But every time you spent the night at his house or he at yours, and he sank into deeper sleep beside you, he couldn't ignore the feeling that you were the key to his peace. He had been around people before, slept in bed with other people, and yet, it was only with you that sleep seemed attainable.

Part of him felt guilty, guilty for needing you in this way, guilty for relying on you when it was supposed to be something he could manage himself. But another part of him was grateful, so deeply thankful for your presence, for the comfort you unknowingly provided. It was as though, in a world that felt so overwhelming, you were the one thing that could bring him peace.

You loved the quiet evenings at your place, when the soft hum of some anime filled the room as you and Noah were sprawled on the bed, each of you nestled into your own little corner of the pillows.

"Dude! You didn't tell me Hide was still alive!"

"I would have ruined the surprise, look at your face now!"

You chuckled, shaking your head.

You were halfway through an episode, the light of the screen flickering across the dark room, when Noah's exhaustion slowly started to catch up with him and his gaze softened as he sank further into the comfort of your bed.

You glanced over at him, noticing how his eyelids seemed to be growing heavier with each passing minute. His usual chatter had quieted down, and now, the only sounds were the faint rustling of his clothes as he shifted, trying to get comfortable. He wasn't one to admit it, but you could tell he was tired. Really tired.

You knew he had trouble falling asleep, even though you had never seen him struggle with it when you were together, because he had mentioned it a couple of times, and you weren't about to wake him up to watch the last episode of the season.

You reached over, grabbing the blanket that was bunched up near your legs, and pulled it over the both of you, draping it loosely over his body too. It was a simple gesture, but one that you knew would make him feel more at ease. The bed was warm, and the space around him felt safe.

Noah’s hand, which had been resting beside him, moved slightly, searching for something. Your fingers brushed against his as he tried to find you in his half-conscious daze. Smiling softly, you let him take your hand, intertwining your fingers gently. He squeezed your hand once, his body finally settling, and that’s when you knew he was starting to drift.

The sounds from the show faded into the background as his breathing deepened, slower and more steady. He’d been fighting sleep for so long, but in your presence, surrounded by the quiet comfort of your room and the low murmur of the anime, it seemed like he couldn’t hold out anymore. The rise and fall of his chest began to slow, and before long, his head tilted slightly to the side, resting softly against your shoulder, his mouth slightly open.

You didn’t move. Instead, you let him be, the way he always let you be when you needed comfort.

His breathing was rhythmic now, soft and deep, the kind of sleep that only comes when someone feels completely safe. You glanced down at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

You shifted slightly, adjusting the blankets and making sure he was comfortable, but Noah didn’t stir.

You also loved the nights at Noah’s place, when the band was off doing their own thing, leaving you and Noah alone in his room, as usual. The bed was slightly messy with clothes and gear scattered around, and the low hum of the TV created a soft background to your conversation.

You were lying on your stomach, flicking through your phone, while Noah stretched out beside you, his head resting on his arm as you chatted.

“I mean,” he continued, his voice playful, “when I was a kid, I used to tell people Jackie Chan was my dad.”

You blinked, trying to process what he just said. “Wait, what?”

Noah shrugged, the grin never leaving his face. “Yeah, when I was like... maybe 13 or 14? I’d go around showing people a picture of Jackie Chan and say, ‘This is my dad.’”

You raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Why would you do that?"

“I don't know,” he said, laughing at the memory. “I was convinced it would make me cool. I’d pull out the picture, one from a magazine or something, and tell everyone that he was my dad.”

You chuckled, still processing it. “Okay, but what did people say when they saw it? Like, did they believe you?”

Noah smirked, leaning back against his pillows. “Most of them were like, ‘Wait, is that Jackie Chan?’ And I’d just be like, ‘Nope, that’s my dad.’ Like, no hesitation. Just totally confident about it.”

You laughed so hard you almost fell off the bed. “Wait, hold up. You actually said that? You didn’t try to explain? Just, ‘Nope, that’s my dad? And he randomly looks exactly like Jackie Chan?'"

“Yep,” Noah said, chuckling. “I’d be like, ‘No, that’s not Jackie Chan, what are you talking about?, that’s my dad.’ I’d act all casual about it too."

“I'm sure they all believed you,” you said, barely able to contain your laughter.

"Hey! Don't make fun of me now."

You shook your head in disbelief, still grinning. "Oh I'm not! That's one of the coolest things I know about you!"

"Okay, shut up now."

As the laughter died down, there was a peaceful silence. You both relaxed into the bed, the soft glow of the lamp casting gentle shadows on the walls. Noah, his eyes heavy, turned his head toward you, his body shifting closer as he found a comfortable spot.

He seemed so at peace in moments like this, with his hair splayed around the pillow and a slight stubble on his face that made your skin tingle every time he left a kiss on your cheek.

Slowly, his breathing deepened, and you realized that the ridiculous story had done what it always did: made him relax. Little did you know that the sound of your voice, more specifically the sound of your soft laugh, had also played its part.

You glanced at him, smiling softly. “You know I’ll never let you live that Jackie Chan story down. Like, ever.”

He grinned, eyes still closed, mumbling, “I’m okay with that. Just cause it's you.”

And, with that, he drifted off to sleep, your laughter still hanging in the air.

And then, there are the nights you and Noah didn’t spend together.

It was a typical night, one where you and Noah had gone your separate ways after hanging out all evening. You were at your our place, cozy in bed still on your phone, scrolling through social media, even if it was starting to get late, while Noah was at his house with the band, sleeping, or so you thought.

The silence of the night had settled in when your phone buzzed. You looked at the screen, a message from Noah popping up:

Noah: Hey, are you awake?

You weren’t exactly sleepy yet, and something about the message made you pause for a second, wondering if something was off. You quickly typed back:

You: Yeah. What’s up?

The message came almost immediately after yours:

Noah: Can I call you?

You were a bit surprised, but you could tell something was off. You quickly tapped the phone to call him before he could send another text.

You waited for the line to pick up, the ringing echoing in your ear. A few seconds later, you heard Noah’s groggy voice.

"Hey," he said, his tone a little rough and tired, "I can't sleep."

You felt a wave of relief wash over you that he was okay, but something in his voice made you worry. “You’re not feeling sick or anything, are you?”

“No, I’m fine,” Noah muttered, but it sounded like he was trying to fight off exhaustion. “Just... can’t sleep. I’ve been lying here for hours.”

You frowned, sitting up a little in bed. “You scared me. I thought something happened.”

“No, nothing happened. Just... I can't fucking sleep."

You could hear the frustration in his voice, and it made your chest tighten.

There was a little pause and you could feel him slipping into his thoughts again. So, in an effort to pull his mind away from whatever it was that was keeping him awake, you decided to tell him something to distract him.

“So, when I got home tonight,” you started, leaning back against your pillows, “I found a cat in my backyard.”

Noah let out a soft grunt, clearly intrigued. “A cat? Was it your neighbors'?”

You chuckled a little at his curiosity. “Not exactly. It was a stray, I think. It didn’t let me get close at all. Kept running away from me whenever I tried.”

“Aww, poor thing,” Noah said, his voice already softening.

“Yeah, it looked pretty hungry,” you continued, trying to keep the conversation light. “So, I left it a can of tuna outside. I didn’t have anything else, but I figured it might help a little.”

"That's sweet."

“Well, yeah,” you said with a smile. “I couldn’t just leave it there. It seemed so skinny. I hope it eats it. Maybe it’ll stick around.”

“Do you think it’s gonna come back?” he asked.

“Maybe,” you said, stretching out in bed, trying to keep your voice casual. “I mean, if it’s really hungry, it probably will. I’m hoping it doesn’t just go off somewhere else. It seemed like it really needed food. And love.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. You could tell Noah was picturing the scene, likely imagining the little stray cat outside in the dark. After a moment, he spoke up again.

"I hope it’s okay.”

“I hope so too,” you said softly. “I’ll keep an eye on it and let you know if it comes back. I’ll be sure to keep feeding it if it does.”

Noah’s voice softened even more when he spoke again. “You’re good... You know that, right?”

"I just left it a tuna can, Noah."

"I'm not only talking about the cat. It's almost 2 a.m and you are here talking to me because I can't sleep. Not everyone would do that."

You smiled, feeling your heart warm. “I care about you, Noah. You know I do. And I care about cats too." You added the last part with a chuckle.

“I'm glad you do, really. Thank you. I don’t say it enough.” Noah said with a yawn. “I hope the kitten will be still there tomorrow.”

“I’ll let you know if I see it again,” you said. “And I’ll be sure to give the backyard buddy more food if it comes back."

You could hear him chuckling softly, but then his voice started to quiet down again. He was fading, his breath becoming slower, deeper.

"Alright," he mumbled.

There was another long pause, and then, you heard it—Noah’s breathing had slowed, becoming even and rhythmic. You weren’t sure if he’d heard you, but then you heard a soft snore.

You smiled softly, happy to know he was finally getting some rest, but you stayed on the line for a few more minutes, making sure everything was okay. You could hear the calm rise and fall of his breath, the sound of him finally finding peace.

Your heart swelled with a mix of affection and understanding. Sometimes, you didn’t need to say much. Just being there to talk about random things in the middle of the night was enough.

Slowly, you pulled the phone away from your ear, a quiet smile on your face. As you hung up, you whispered to the empty room, “Goodnight, Noah.”

And with that, you settled back into your own bed feeling comforted knowing you could help him a bit when he needed you.

And then, there was the night he realized that how he felt about you wasn't exactly how he should feel about a best friend.

It had been hours. Hours of tossing and turning in bed, of staring at the ceiling, of the quiet sounds of the guys in their respective rooms. The restlessness, the heaviness in his chest seemed too much. He’d been trying to sleep since midnight, but now, the clock was nearing 3 AM, and it wasn’t getting any easier.

Noah sat up in his bed, running a hand through his messy hair in frustration. His body felt exhausted, but his mind? It was still awake, thinking too much, filled with thoughts he couldn’t push away. The only thing that ever helped was hearing your voice.

He grabbed his phone, almost instinctively, and typed out a text to you.

Noah: I'm gonna be a pain in the ass again

Noah: are you still up by any chance?

A few moments later, your reply popped up.

You: Yep

Relief washed over him as he read your message. He stared at his phone for a moment before typing out his next question.

Noah: Can I call you?

The wait felt endless, though it was only a few seconds. Then, the response came:

You: Gimme ten minutes.

Ten minutes. Noah frowned, puzzled. What could that mean? Ten minutes? Was it a code? Did you have something going on? Maybe you were busy. But at three in the morning?

Maybe you were with someone else. The thought hit him like a wave—was there someone else? A guy? A guy in your bed that wasn’t him? His chest tightened as the idea planted itself firmly in his mind. He tried to push it away, but the more he thought about it, the worse it seemed.

No. That couldn’t be right. You were his best friend. If you had a boyfriend or someone, it wasn't a problem.

Right?

The thought of you with someone else gnawed at him, eating away at his insides. Maybe he had no reason to feel this way. After all, you were just friends. But as the minutes passed and his overthinking spiraled out of control, Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, he wasn’t supposed to feel like this about you.

His mind was racing, heart pounding. Why was he feeling this way? It was just you, right? But then, the moment that snapped him out of his thoughts came when he heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening downstairs.

Noah blinked, confused. Was someone leaving the house?

He pushed himself up from his bed, trying to shake off the strange sense of unease that had gripped him. He stepped into the hallway, peering down the stairs. The door clicked shut behind you.

There, standing at the bottom of the stairs in the dim light of the hallway, was you. You were wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, his hoodie, the Bad Omens one he had given you a while ago. It was a small thing, but seeing you in it, with your hair tied up and your face still soft from sleep (showing that when Noah texted you you were actually sleeping), made Noah’s heart skip a beat. There was no guy. No one else. It was just you. There. For him. Because he couldn’t sleep.

You gave him a little smile. "Hey."

Noah couldn’t speak at first. He just stood there, watching you approach. All the anxiety and overthinking he'd been battling melted away when you took his hand gently in yours, your fingers cool from the night air.

"Hey."

It was a simple gesture, but it was exactly what he needed. You didn’t say anything else; you didn’t need to. The way you held his hand, the way you guided him back to his room, was enough.

He followed you back to his room in silence. As soon as you entered, you led him to his bed. The room felt warm now, the kind of warmth that only comes from someone being exactly where they were needed. You motioned for him to lie down, and without a word, he did.

You climbed into bed beside him, gently placing his head on your stomach. The soft fabric of your hoodie brushed against his cheek, and he could feel the steady rise and fall of your breath beneath him.

You reached out, running your fingers through his hair, the comforting rhythm of your touch calming him, making his mind slow down. Your fingers scratched lightly at his scalp, and for the first time that night, Noah felt the tension leave his body.

He closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to rest. Everything felt right, like he was exactly where he needed to be. He’d never felt so cared for in his life. You hadn’t said much, but your presence spoke louder than any words ever could.

"Why did you come?" he whispered after a few moments, his voice barely audible. His heart was racing for a different reason now, because, in that moment, he realized just how much you meant to him. More than just a close friend. How much you always had, and how he was afraid of losing you.

You smiled softly, your fingers still weaving through his hair. "Because you needed me." you whispered.

For the first time in hours, Noah felt really at peace. You had helped him in a way no one else could, just by being there, by taking care of him, by simply holding him.

It was the most tender thing anyone had ever done for him. And as he drifted off, he realized just how important you were in his life, more than a best friend, more than he had ever allowed himself to believe.

Tags: @anything-more-than-human @ladyveronikawrites @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @fadingangelwisp @xmads-omensx @iwasntstable @thisbicc @pathion @flowery-mess @into-the-grey @lacy1986 @tosoundlessdarkistare @stardustsirenmelody @thewrstinme

[cottonlemonade]

An Easy Job

word count: 1234 || avg. reading time: 5 mins.

pairing: university AU!Tendou x chubby!Reader

genre: steamed fluff 🥟

warnings: none really, but let’s be safe and say mdni

request: I'll get a 14 for breakfast and procrastinate with Tendou || fluffy-spicy, part time job with crush Tendou

Tendou yawned and rubbed the stiffness out of his neck before grabbing the next ramen packet to sort into the shelf. It was early morning on a Sunday, still dark outside, and with the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead and the emptied aisle of instant food, the small convenience store at the edge of town had all the charm of a post-apocalyptic gas station. He knew he could have gotten a job closer to his dorm, heck, even on campus but this neglected shop was the only place that had accepted a foreigner as a part-timer, and because Tendou was nothing if not hopelessly in love he easily shouldered the 45-minute commute without second thought to keep you company.

“Good morning.”, you said behind him, holding out a cup of steaming coffee from a cart down the street. He smiled and accepted it with both hands, squinting slightly against the blinding radiance of your beauty as well as the intensely bright ceiling lamp above you.

“I thought about what you said yesterday and I think my answer would have to be: No, a hot dog is not a sandwich.”

“Bold decision.” He grinned after you while you put your bag behind the counter by the cash register.

The store got so little foot traffic that on most days you were simply there to rotate the stock and make sure no stray cat wandered in to steal treats off the shelf - truly a growing issue that warranted two people keeping an eye out - which meant, you had plenty of time to just chat and goof around. Tendou couldn’t have dreamed of a better job. Being paid to hang out with his crush one-on-one and free (only slightly expired) snacks was all he could ever ask for.

The shift went on as it usually did. You diligently swept the still spotless floors, whilst playing “I spy”, next went through the rows of goods to check the best before dates, then eventually you both settled behind the counter. He shuffled the deck of cards you had brought and for the first few rounds, you’d talk about the latest episode of a show you were both addicted to and discuss at length which thus far undomesticated animal would be man’s new best friend. It was dreary gray outside, not much of an upgrade from the freezing dark morning, but the shop was warm at least.

“Hey, y/n-chan.”, he said as you picked up your cards for the next round, “I was wondering if you have some dating advice maybe?”

“Dating advice?”, you stopped short and looked at him with surprise at this sudden change in topic, “For you?”

“Yeah?”

“From me?”

“Yeah.”

“Uhm… I mean I’m flattered but”, you squinted down at yourself, at the pudgy ball of tummy that protruded quite prominently as you sat, “I don’t pull as much as you might think I do.”

He snickered.

“Hard to believe but okay.”

“What do you need help with?”

“I mean, I obviously know how to talk to girls in general.”

“Yes, obviously.”

“But I am, shall we say, a bit rusty… when it comes to the actual date part.”

“I see.”, you said and suppressed a smile as you discarded a card onto a pile, “Where are you taking her?”

Tendou kept a close eye on you, hoping your reaction might give him some sort of indication of how you felt about him. He was already a little disappointed that you didn’t start sobbing at the idea of him on a date with someone.

“This is all very hypothetical. There, uhm, is no date yet.”

“I see.”

A little flutter bubbled in his chest when he saw a small smirk on your lips.

“But maybe Paris? Although,”, he held his chin in thought, “that might be more a second date kinda thing, I dunno. Where would you wanna go?”

One snorting laugh later you said, “Maybe the arcade? There is this really cool one near uni that’s super old school. Yeah, I think that would be my ideal first date. It’s fun, it’s easy to talk there and you get to know the other person very well by seeing how they behave when they lose. And maybe he could win me a plushie at the claw machines, that would be so cute.”

Tendou nodded, not so subtly taking frantic notes on his phone as you went on, “We could get some taiyaki or these amazing bubble waffles to share. On the way home he might give me his jacket…”, you were rotating the seat of your stool dreamily from side to side at this point, looking at your cards without really seeing them. “And once he walked me home we’d kiss goodnight aaand that’s it.” You discarded an ace of clubs and looked at him expectantly. “Was that helpful?”

“Oh yeah. Thanks. I was just wondering. Of course, I’ve kissed a whole bunch of girls before.”

“Of course.”

“But is there maybe something I should know? Like … where to put my hands and … and how much pressure to use and … stuff like that?”

Tendou felt his heart thumping in his throat when you grabbed the edge of the counter and pulled yourself closer to him.

“We could start with the pressure. Let’s see what you got.”

“What?”

“Is that not what you wanted?”

He froze, worried if he would move all of this would turn out to be one of the many daydreams he’d had since working here.

Slowly your teasing smile started to fade and you began moving backwards again, “Sorry, Satori, I thought-“

His hand shot out to snatch the seat of your stool that was hidden underneath your plush thighs. He held you in place, nervous but ready. Your surprised expression turned to blush, full of anticipation.

By capturing your chair he had leaned forward and was only a breath’s width away from your face. His eyes darted down to your lips for a split second and back up to meet your eyes. Then, with another moment’s hesitation, he kissed you. It wasn’t like it seemed in the movies, he thought. This was so much better. He still tasted the strawberry flavor from the gummi bears you shared earlier. He wanted more. A tug of his arm made you gasp against him as he drew you so close that your chairs were touching now. Your knees between his, still sitting on your stools you deepened the kiss. He wanted to cry with joy at the feeling of your tongue dancing with his, his hands came up to cup your cheeks. More. Closer. His right hand wandered lower again, down to your waist. You were so impossibly soft, how was he ever supposed to stop touching you? He pulled a third time, now having you sit on his lap. He stupidly wondered if his thigh was comfortable enough for you before he trapped you with his arms on either side, your back gently pressed against the cash register. Your hands came up to hold his shoulders, his neck, his cheek, then your fingers were in his hair and if he wouldn’t have been so focused on your taste he would have moaned into your mouth at the feeling.

Neither of you noticed the gray tabby strolling through the door and purposefully striding towards the cat treats to help herself.

a/n: thank you anon for this request. I’m sorry it took so long, this was a tough one to figure out 🧐 I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless 🌟

Thank you @haikyu-mp4 for brainstorming!

[magnagaruzenmon]

Recuperation

Okay now y’all are stuck with me for a while until Dinozen finishes his massive stories.

After a long day at work, you finally had the apartment to yourself. You dropped your bag by the door, kicked off your shoes, and shuffled into the kitchen. Tonight called for something simple—instant ramen with an egg and whatever leftover vegetables you could scavenge from the fridge.

With a steaming bowl, you sank onto the couch, remote in hand, ready to lose yourself in some anime. It took you about ten minutes of scrolling to land on Kaiju No. 8. The title floated online for a while, and curiosity finally won. From the first episode, you were hooked.

There was something about Kafka—the way he struggled with his responsibilities, the weight of his unfulfilled dreams—that felt oddly familiar. Sure, you weren't dealing with kaiju or life-or-death stakes, but the longing to be more, to be something greater, resonated in a way you didn’t expect. You leaned forward, ramen forgotten, completely immersed.

So much so that you didn’t even hear the door open.

“Hey, babe,” Tsuki’s cheerful voice cut through the action on-screen.

You flinched, fumbling for the remote and pausing the episode mid-explosion. Turning toward her, you found her standing in the doorway, framed by the warm glow of the hallway light. Her work bag was slung over one shoulder, and her dark hair spilled loose over her shoulders, a few strands clinging to her face from the cool night air.

“Oh, hey!” you said, still recovering from the surprise. “How was your day?”

“Long,” she said with a dramatic sigh, running her hands through her hair in mock exhaustion. Then she glanced at you, her lips quirking into a playful smile. “What about you?”

“Same,” you replied, matching her sigh for effect.

She laughed softly, setting her bag down by the door before crossing the room to sit beside you on the couch. The scent of her perfume—subtle, floral—cut through the lingering smell of ramen, a comforting contrast. She leaned in and kissed your cheek, her lips warm and soft.

“What are we watching?” she asked, her eyes flicking to the screen.

“Kaiju No. 8,” you answer, handing her the remote so she can read the episode description. “Just started it. Have you ever heard of it?”

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, scrolling through the details. “Mmm, I think Sua might have mentioned it once. Said it’s about a guy who turns into a kaiju, right? Sounds like your kind of thing.”

You chuckled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know,” she teased, nudging me with her elbow. “Big monsters, lots of fighting, some tragic backstory—sounds like you.”

You rolled your eyes, but her smile was infectious. “Well, it’s good so far,” you said, gesturing toward the screen. “Want to watch with me?”

She tilted her head, pretending to consider it. “Hmm, I was thinking of a bath and bed, but… sure. I’ll give it one episode. You can’t complain if I fall asleep halfway through, though.”

“No promises,” you said, grinning.

Tsuki tucked her legs under her as she got comfortable, resting her head against your shoulder. You hit play, and the room filled with the sound of explosions, roaring kaiju, and Kafka’s determined voice.

As the episode unfolded, Tsuki occasionally murmured comments—mostly teasing ones about the characters or the animation—but it was clear she was getting into it.

“You’re really good at understanding this now,” she said suddenly during a quiet scene.

“What?” you asked, caught off guard.

“Your Japanese, it's gotten better,” she said, gesturing toward the screen. “I remember when you’d have to pause every five minutes to look something up. Now you’re keeping up with all this kaiju jargon like it’s nothing.”

You felt your cheeks heat a little. “Well, I’ve been practicing. Plus when I was a kid I used to watch Godzilla all the time and a lot of the jargon is the same… I guess I have a pretty great tutor.”

Tsuki grinned, her cheek resting against your shoulder. “Damn right, you do.”

The episode continued, but your focus shifted. You made the mistake of glancing at Tsuki, who was sprawled comfortably on the couch. Her hair was slightly messy from the day, her makeup faded but was still perfect to you. She looked so effortlessly sultry yet so at home, and it broke your brain for a second.

“You’re so hot,” you blurted.

Tsuki sat up slightly, her eyes wide with mock disbelief. “Excuse me?”

"I said you’re so hot,” you repeated, more confidently this time. “Like, you just walk in here, hair all messy, talking about kaiju and complimenting my language skills—how am I supposed to focus on anything else?”

She laughed, her face lighting up in a way that made your chest feel warm. “You say the most random things sometimes,” she said, leaning in to kiss you. “But I’ll take it.”

The kiss lingered for a moment before she pulled back, her eyes soft. “Alright, let’s see if Kafka can beat that.”

“Good luck to him,” you muttered, earning another laugh.

As the episode ended and the credits rolled, Tsuki let out a contented sigh. “Okay, I see the appeal. Maybe I’ll stick around for a few more episodes. But first—” she stretched and yawned, “—I’m grabbing some of that ramen you’re hoarding. Save the next one for me?”

“Actually, I’ll do you one better,” you said, getting up and heading into the kitchen. Tsuki followed, curious. “Sit tight—I’m making breakfast ramen for you.”

Her eyes sparkled under the low light of the apartment. “Your famous breakfast ramen?” she asked, her voice laced with excitement. You nodded, already pulling ingredients from the fridge.

When you slid the steaming bowl across the counter to her, she took her first bite, her eyes widening like a kid opening a gift. “Ah, so cute,” you teased, and she blushed, mumbling something about how unfairly good it was.

“You ever think about becoming a chef?” she joked, savoring another bite.

You laughed but decided to bring up something you've been meaning to tell her. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about pursuing something new.”

Tsuki paused, her chopsticks mid-air. “You’re not leaving me, are you?”

“Not a chance,” you said quickly. “But I’ve been working on getting my pilot’s license—helicopters, planes, the works.”

Her eyes widened with admiration. “Wow. First photography, now flying? You’re really living up to that Nigou comparison.”

You rolled your eyes as she laughed. “Hey, I need something to do while you’re busy being a superstar.”

Tsuki gave you one of her smiles—the kind that radiated love and warmth, the kind that made everything else fade into the background.

“What are you staring at?” she asked, tilting her head cutely.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” you said, grinning.

She pouted, poking me with her chopsticks. “Fine, but only because you’ve been pampering me all night.”

You smiled as she finished up, then her eyes took on a different kind of hunger. She abandoned her bowl before approaching me.

"You know it's been a little while since we've had alone time like this," she says, with a sultry tone. You blink at her a few times until she brings you in for another kiss. This kiss brings with it her hands wrapping around your shoulders, as she brings you in close her tongue finds its way into your mouth. Tsuki breaks the kiss and then says, "I always love how sweet you smell. Whether it's vanilla oranges or blueberries. You always smell like dessert, and I think I'm in the mood for some right now."

Tsuki pulls you in for another kiss as your hands wrap around her and dance around her svelte body. You smile into the kiss as she continues to kiss deeper.

"Fuck!" she groans before guiding you to the bedroom. She lifts up her top and her petite and pert breasts greet you. She smiles and then says, "Take that cock out," You shrug and oblige her as she smiles before taking you into her mouth. Her pouty lips spread all around your cock as she begins to slide up and down your length. You moan and Tsuki says,

"you like that," as she speaks she slowly rubs your shaft before taking you back into her mouth. She lightly bites the tip causing a bizarre sense of pleasure that almost makes you explode then and there. Tsuki smiles and groans around your cock.

"Please cum for me, baby. I want my cream for dessert," she says, and that's what gets you as you pour hot cum down her gullet. And Tsuki smiles around your cock before lifting herself up.

"Thanks for dessert, now let's continue this in the bathroom so we can both get clean," she says.

[cupcait777]

under the bleachers ⋆˚࿔

what starts with one stolen glance across the soccer field turns into a secret-laced spiral of late-night drives, under-the-bleachers kisses, and the kind of love that makes you reckless. in a town that doesn’t understand girls like them, they find freedom in each other—and maybe something like forever. 𔘓 a/n : last part's here and yeah so bittersweet tbh.... pls if you're filo,, listen to multo while reading!!! TANGINA

you can still hear the whistle blowing.

the scoreboard blinking bright. the crowd on their feet. your lungs burning from how hard you screamed. confetti fell like a late snowstorm and for once, you didn’t care about your makeup or your matching socks—you were running, full speed, past the sidelines and into the chaos of victory.

the yellowjackets had won.

natalie had won.

nationals. the big one. the title everyone said was a long shot. and now you were there, in the middle of it, being lifted by your girls, streamers clinging to your sneakers, and natalie—god, natalie was laughing so hard her head almost fell off.

she ran straight for you.

and you didn’t hesitate. you leapt into her arms like she’d just returned from war. her arms wrapped around your waist and spun you, both of you breathless, wild, alive. her cheeks were flushed. her knuckles scraped. her jersey soaked in sweat and victory.

“we did it,” she whispered against your mouth before she kissed you. the whole team saw. nobody cared. you kissed her back.

the whole night felt like gold.

you took photos you’d later rip in half. you chanted on the bus ride home with half your team asleep on each other’s shoulders. you collapsed on the locker room floor, sweaty and sore and laughing until your ribs ached. laura lee was crying. lottie had stolen someone’s gatorade. tai and van had made out in the corner and no one even blinked. it was that kind of night.

you sat beside her. she handed you a drink someone snuck in. “you’re not allowed to leave me,” you told her, half-kidding.

she tapped her can against yours. “not even if i tried.”

you should’ve known then.

⸝⸝⸝

the therapist’s office was too quiet.

everything was beige. too soft. too polite. her voice was slow and kind, like she didn’t want to startle you. like grief made you an injured animal.

“have you had any… episodes?” she asked gently.

you stared at the floor. the floor stared back.

“episodes like what?”

she checked her clipboard. “dissociation. hallucinations. vivid dreams of the deceased.”

you shrugged. “no dreams.”

a lie. natalie came every night. sometimes with blood under her fingernails. sometimes just smiling.

“are you still wearing the hoodie?” the therapist asked.

you looked down. black. fraying at the cuffs. her scent long gone.

“yeah.”

she nodded like she expected it. “grief can linger in the body. you might feel her as a presence.”

you swallowed. “she is a presence.”

she said nothing. just wrote something down.

you wished she’d write help me. or bring her back.

you wanted to scream. instead, you folded your hands like a good little ghost.

⸝⸝⸝

the crash didn’t make sense.

you watched the news like it was a horror movie where the ending never came.

no distress call. no storm warning. just silence. they were there. then they weren’t.

twenty minutes into the flight, the plane went off radar somewhere over the northern wilderness. no bodies. no wreckage. just lost. like a story someone stopped telling.

you remember reading the headline over and over:

“private plane carrying yellowjackets team presumed crashed.”

you read it until it stopped meaning anything. you read it until your eyes went numb.

⸝⸝⸝

no one tells you that the worst part isn’t the crying. it’s the waiting.

you waited for days. waited for news. waited for the door to open and natalie to walk in, bruised and bitchy and fine.

but all you got were memorial flyers. yellow ribbons. candles at school. a counselor who said “they’re in a better place.” you wanted to set something on fire.

the rest of the cheer squad tried to move on. tried to plan a tribute routine. you didn’t go.

you just sat in your room with the light off, hoodie wrapped around your knees, playing that voice memo she sent you after the game.

“did you see me tackle that girl? god, you better write a poem about it. or a cheer. or—i dunno—tattoo my name on your face. you’re my good luck charm, y’know that?”

you listened to it until her voice didn’t sound real anymore.

⸝⸝⸝

it was lottie’s dad.

that’s how they got the plane.

you overheard it in the hallway outside the counselor’s office. one of the teachers was whispering about it. “her father’s loaded—old money, i think. chartered that jet like it was nothing.”

only the team. no room for extras. no cheerleaders. no girlfriends.

no you.

natalie had offered to sneak you in. joked about stuffing you in the luggage bay.

“i’ll see you in a week,” she said instead. “i’ll bring you back a trophy.”

you would’ve preferred her bones. at least then, you’d know where she ended.

⸝⸝⸝

but the thing is—she hasn’t ended.

she’s still here. in the cold breeze that rattles your window. in the whisper behind your ear when you close your eyes. in the heaviness on your chest at night.

she’s here when you reach for your phone. here when you wake up sobbing with her name on your lips. here in the mirror, where you think you see her smile—only to blink and find nothing.

you want to let her go. but she won’t leave.

maybe she can’t. maybe you don’t want her to.

either way, she’s become your shadow.

and shadows don’t fade. not when they’re born from love.

“dinadalaw mo ’ko bawat gabi.” “haplos mo’y ramdam pa rin sa dilim.” “minumulto na ’ko ng damdamin ko.”

𔘓 a/n : sige bye po mga burikat

part five ⊹ ࣪ ˖

[sillyandquiteawkward]

sillys (not so) lil info dump about how to be a human being. smiles

htbahb is an album from glass animals, of which notably, all the songs align with different people's lives, perspectives, and feelings, also of which are shown on the (various) album covers. so the easiest way to go thru the story is song by song. but i will show you the album art so you can get a gist of things before we go into details.

these are just some of the various album covers for htbahb, theres a bunch of them, but we dont need to see all of them to see the different lives of our characters.

1, Life Itself

this is our main character for life itself. you can call him a bit of a nerd if youd like. apparently his name is chuck rogers. they dont all have names.

hes an inventor, loves ray guns and strange technology, but as noted in his song, feels like he was raised with expectations hell never be able to achieve. his father as a child said he would be a superstar, but nowadays, he cant get a job and he lives with his mom. hes struggling with finding himself and his place in society and hes doing drugs and feeling like hes absolute rock bottom with everyone being against him. he feels alone and attacked and retreats back into his car or grandmothers basement and keeps folding back into himself.

in the music video for life itself, hes only seen in a few scenes, leading the charge against [popular st] with a smoke bomb as [mamas gun] watches knowingly from the sidelines as perhaps the real leader behind the assault. they seems to be accomplices with each other, as they ride in the car together and seem to be specifically looking for [youth].

2. Youth

now the main character for youth is tricky, it seems like we have two characters for youth, the small child, and assumedly, his mother the waitress. i think i like the interpretation that the mother is the main character for this song, and the child represents the album as a whole. alternatively i also like the idea that the child is youth, and his mother represents [premade sandwiches]. but for the most part, they are just both the characters for youth.

youth is a mother talking about her child, and to her child, almost in a detached sort of way as if they arent able to see each other. a mother speaking her hopes and dreams to her child. somehow these two have been separated when the child was young, perhaps through giving up to adoption, or hinted in the music video, abduction. she wishes best for the child, urges them to feel their mother at their side, and notes that theyve got her eyes. she lists off her wishes for them to be happy and have friends, and be silly. this perhaps is for the best, that they can be happy even without her. i particularly like in this song, the wordplay makes it sound like the singer is counting one, two, three, four, five, when they are singing other words like boy, to, free, funny, and fly respectively.

in the music video for youth, the child is seen almost haunting the mother as she works as a waiter, appearing in several locations playing and running around as she remains dutiful to her job. they briefly sit looking at each other in the same hotel room he had been taken to in life itself's music video.

3. Season 2 Episode 3

this is the main character for season 2 ep 3 and i think one of the cool changes between album covers, as we see a fully done up girl all put together with her make up on, and in the other, someone a bit more silly with her makeup removed. this might be the way she sees herself vs how other people see her.

the song is the lament of a boyfriend to his girlfriend, who seems to be glued to the couch, watching shows, getting high, not changing her clothes, and eating day old leftover food and most notably, mayonnaise straight from the jar. at the beginning of the song, the two of them are high together, however he soon sobers and realizes she refuses to get sober along with him. he tries to convince her that their relationship wont work if she keeps being like this and doesnt try, but she wants him back the way he was (high as well) and views him as a nag. she still makes him happy, but sometimes she makes him sad to see how she lives. even after an acceptance from the boyfriend that she wont change and will never be vertical and golden like he wants and that the relationship will never work out, the song ends hinting that hes picked up getting high with her again due to her calling him a killjoy and wearing him down.

in the music video we watch the girl splay out on the sofa, surrounded by her mess watching tv and doing nothing. halfway into the video, we are brought into the game she plays, as she battles [life itself] [cane shuga] and [the other side of paradise], all of which are men who could possibly be the boyfriend figure.

4. Pork Soda

this is our main character for everyones favorite pork soda. hes an older man, who for the most part seems pretty happy. wonder if hes harboring some long lost feelings or something.

the song opens with a street performance unintelligible to a normal listener, its like passing by a conversation, you are only able to hear bits and pieces of the spoken words. once the song starts you hear a story about this guy's girl who used to be fun and adventurous and would take him along with her. in the same breathe hes begging to go back to the days they were happy together. it seems like they fell out of love, or are in a struggling relationship bereft of communication or the passion it once had. shes only happy when theyre having sex together, and just looking at each other causes him heartache. the song talks about pineapples in my head, and being brain dead, as well as other references to diminishing mental facilities, that perhaps in their age, theyd forgotten about each other.

the music video gives us probably the most clear story line, as we see the wife prepare a meal before sending it through a dumbwaiter into the basement for the husband. there he sits alone, watching tv. up above the wife plays with their dog, imagining the dog is the younger version of her husband. all of her time is dedicated to the dog, and all of his time is dedicated to the tv. they have forgotten they love each other and live in the same house, but live in separate worlds. only after the dog destroys his tv and the husband destroys the floor above him and under her feet, do they finally get back together as he catches her as she falls, surprised and exhilarated for the first time in forever. and things seem to be better as they finally occupy the same room together again.

5. Mama's Gun

This is the main character for mamas gun. shes a victim of the perception of her mental illness. i think this is my fav song of the album.

during the song, the woman initially admits that she took her gun and made her husband go to neverland. however she also says she loved him a lot and he was perfect. through bits and pieces of the lyrics you can come to the conclusion that she has some sort of psychosis, or perhaps schizophrenia in particular as she notes many different voices and figures talking to her. the song references dr swango, a doctor who killed his patients, however he insists to her that him and all the other voices in her head are too from neverland, and that she was a murderer just like him. is she really guilty of murder? what really happened? the flute played during various instrumental parts of the song is a sample from the carpenter's mr. guder, a song about a man who does what hes supposed to in society and his job and gets nothing from it. karen carpenter herself was a victim of her own mental illness and they say that theres a specific purpose for the sample chosen. once the lyrics pick back up, the voices again pipe up and tell her she was a murderer, even the voice who had never spoken says so, so he must be telling the truth right? during the final bit of the song, it seems like her husbands voice joins into her collection of voices, as he bears a cheshire smile and asks her to lay with him once again, and that hes waiting for her. in the end, its unclear what happened with her and her husband, as she goes back and forth saying she was violent, she was doing nothing. this song was inspired by a story they heard of a woman going into a drug induced black out for a month and reappearing in another state with no memory, and the lingering fear that shes done something terrible wrong, and never being able to have the closure of knowing what happened.

theres no music video for this song, but we see her appear in life itself. she and [life itself] drive to the hotel where [poplar st] is holding [youth] captive and attempt to break into the room hes in.

6. Cane Shuga

this is our main character for cane shuga. hes exactly how he seems, a rich white guy who is, of course, using that cane shuga all day everyday.

cane shuga presents a dialogue from two parties, two people in a relationship. the singer promises he wont do coke anymore, that he wont be a john doe in the hospital. the chorus however is the high he rides on, where he thinks hes hot shit, hes 007 james bond, hes as powerful as kim jong, with a popped collar as he looks into the glare of the mirror and hypes himself up after using in the bathroom at work. hes untouchable. the second chorus is his partner, giving up on him, their love has burned up, just like his drugs. theres a humorous line of putting their foot down saying ive had quite enough, but corrects themself and sarcastically says or lack there of, that they arent being given anything anymore by him. regardless, their verses and conversation is short. the chorus of his high is the main focus of the song, and repeat over and over as the days continue.

[cane shuga] appears in season 2 ep 3's music video as [season 2 episode 3]'s potential lover. their stories do seem to entangle, they both are drug users dealing with partners who want to stop using. some people say that he is her partner, that he stops using for her, but falls back into the habit. however this doesnt exactly line up with her song, as she doesnt want him to stop. i think its part of that unreliable narrator theme weve seen in previous songs. people have different experiences with each other and get different messages due to the issue of communication. im not exactly on board with these two being together, but i do understand where people are coming from with this take.

7. [Premade Sandwiches]

this is a spoken word interlude, sped up and pitched down. there doesnt seem to be a character paired with this song, and on cd this song is simply a bonus track hidden behind cane shuga. on first listening its very difficult to catch what is being said, but over and over the speaker is talking about standing in line for various things. this song discusses mindless over consumption of drugs, of buzz words, of natural foods for your dog, watches, new clothes made to look old, the junk drawer filled with phones you dont use, with pens that dont work, with random shit you never needed just piling up. people stand in line and they dont even know why.

8. The Other Side Of Paradise

this is our main character for the other side. hes gonna be a basketball player and make it big babyeee.

so its a bit unclear and vague in the lyrics, but it seems our narrator and the basketball player used to be close friends. he even seems to be in love with the basketball player, calling him my love. but the basketball player leaves their home in new orleans to go chase his dreams out west and make it big, leaving our narrator's side. he told the narrator not to worry but after phone calls, it seems like basketball boy got a girlfriend. hes gloating to the narrator, hes got a girlfriend now, hes got a gold camaro, hes made it big, meanwhile our narrator is at the payphone hearing all this and his world turns in slow motion. no longer is the basketball player his baby blue anymore. hes moved on, hell never have another chance to love his friend. hes so angry and hurt, but he balls up his fist almost in a fight or flight reaction, and settles for the ghost of his love. hed always hoped for a paradise where they could be together but it seems like fate had other plans. he laments the basketball player for ditching them, saying here in new orleans people dont leave and ditch their lady (him). he wants to be loved and pampered by him, not her. heres where the vagueness comes back, the narrator seems to be so distraught that he rather kills himself, or finds that his body looks wrong, perhaps that hes not a girl that couldve been loved by the basketball player.

he only ever appears in the music video for season 2 ep 3 as one of the bosses [season 2 episode 3] defeats, claiming ball is life. there is a music video that was recently released for this song, however it does not depict the basketball player.

9. Take a Slice

this is our main character for take a slice, hes a bit of a slut but he makes it work :) the spoken intro to this song is the real recording the band took while talking to a male fortune teller, so the sausage candle is rather real or a lie from the fortune teller.

take a slice regales the story of a young man who finds pleasures in the sultry sexual aspects of life. hes sucking on cigarettes in a way freud would roll in his grave, hes painted his nails dark, has piercings, hes asking for another slice of cherry pie, cherries being a symbol for all things sex and lust. hes smitten with the idea of being a prize to be sought after, and after trying sex work for the first time, realizes this is the job for him. hes going to fuck his way through college, and sleep during class dreaming of you. wink. hes rolling in the dough, hes got a gold car, hes maybe dabbling in drugs too, and hes filthy and he loves it.

10. Poplar St

ms moore is the main character of poplar st, and shes a cougar, and not the good kind.

a young boy lives a typical suburban life. hes got bandaids on his knees and hes climbing trees. but one day, he sees mrs moore and mr keats have sex. immediately this drags him out of his childhood, hes such a man now that he knows what sex is. this is the first step of her grasp around him. as he gets a bit older, his mother calls her prosti-tits and looks down upon her. but the boy looks up to ms moore, despite his mothers words. mrs moore sees his desperation and pulls him into her clutches. theres a very specific voice crack when her teeth sink in deep and the note hes singing falls flat. this bit of pain expressed is highly contrasted with the chorus coming back in, the boy once again considers himself a real man, a true romantic, this is what all men dream of, isnt it? but there are dead flowers in the sand, hinting that these roses arent just romantic. the next bridge plays and interesting word switch up. it starts out with her begging him for more as she sits in her underwear, and then switches to him begging her for more in his underwear. theyve both wasted their days, but when it comes to his youth and her age, the only one wasting their childhood is him. the song concludes with mrs moore calling him up collect (so he has to pay for the phone call, not her) one day and breaking up with him. and then it all gets pulled out from under him and hes just a boy again. this tells the sad tale of how men and boys' sexual assault and grooming often is pushed to the side because they think this is how things are supposed to go, that they are supposed to have sex and to be used and abused from a woman is supposed to be an achievement. but really all it is, is abuse that leaves him feeling terrible.

11. Agnes

this is agnes :) i think it was mentioned at some point that he takes pictures of people when they arent looking, so to me, i like to think hes the one capturing everyone pictured in this album. bear witness to other humans.

the song starts out where the singer is appearing to try and comfort agnes. how did it get this bad, agnes used to just take pills and smoke a little, somethings changed perhaps. the singer notes agnes is just going through the motions every day, numb, and nervous, but hes swelling with emotion all the same. here the singer laments he wants to hold agnes like hes mine. theres a longing sadness in the lyrics. the next verse confirms the worst, while agnes was perhaps a genius when it came to the romantic, he was a deeply depressed and lonely person. he started to rely on the drugs and the alcohol he used to use recreationally, just to live a normal life. and he ultimately commited suicide. the singer wonders where the agnes he used to know went. however the singer reconsiders, and accepts that agnes did his best, life must feel so unbearably long when its soaked in sadness, living a false life filled with depression. so it goes, the singer thinks, but cant help but to feel lost. the only thing he can think of is agnes, perhaps considering all the art agnes made, all the photos he took of other people, perhaps just thinking about his friend in any aspect. grief is funny like that. on the vinyl record, this song's last seconds repeat over and over until you stop the machine from playing, like a lingering memory you cant stop thinking about.

the agnes music video is much different than the others, as it focuses on the singer, dave bayley as he sits in a centrifuge and attempts to sing the song. this causes a very physical reaction and he struggles to even lift his hand, by the end of it hes sweating profusely and unable to catch his breath, but he persists and continues singing. he mentions this was a mere fraction of what someone going through depression could feel like. during the music video as well, he appears to be looking across from a mannequin, perhaps the stand in for himself once hes put himself in agnes' shoes.

thanks for reading if you did i love being insane. all of these are my personal thoughts on the album, and might not exactly match up with your interpretation, but i have tried to keep to what we believe is what glass animals had in mind for the album and these characters.

[melrosing]

so stuff I’ve not liked about the finale and S2 more generally…. unfortunately it’s a lot and i'm thinking i might need to say this in several parts but first and foremost: the pacing really was shit and i don't just mean there weren't enough action scenes i mean the whole season they've had almost nothing to say about these characters and have just been making us think they do by having them repeat the same ham-fisted monologues about power and peace and the cost of war and whatever whilst moving at a glacial pace from one minor plot point to another and by the end of it most of these characters STILL haven't changed, and where they have it feels undeserved, and yes they really are at roughly the place they started so what have they even got to show for these eight hours of TV?? like damn

and I do get that the writer's strike has really effected them here and HBO hacking two eps off their season affected them too and that really can't be helped. but the pacing has been pretty poor from kick off and I can't just put it down to this being a more 'internal' season. i do not care about big battles. it's fine to have a season of a show that’s more about the characters’ interiority rather than plot action. that’s the exact reason why I like AFFC so much.

but these characters barely have interiority like idk what to say. some like Rhaenyra, Jace and Alicent have been spouting the same monologues every episode about wanting peace/wanting agency/wanting peace again etc etc, and the more interesting moments like Alicent's apparent suicide attempts, Rhaenyra's butchering of the dragonseeds etc... I mean where IS the interiority here?? unless they are spelling out a character's thoughts in the most literal way they can (as per Jace's diatribes about the dragonseeds), they leave their audience to do absolutely all the work by showing us nothing, and just leaving us to figure that the characters must be having some kind of thoughts but y'all can decide what they are.

and even Daemon, whose entire ARC was about his interiority.... like look I was so so ready to love this arc. i love fucked up little dream sequences. i love harrenhal. i was really enjoying the angle they took with alys. i was here for it. but now we've seen the whole of his S2 arc, im going to say yes, it was intended as a redemption adjacent kind of arc, and it isn't a very good one. Daemon has a handful of weird dreams, gets shouted at by some Riverlands folk, and he's a changed man.

consider the character everyone compares Daemon to (and who I'm always more than happy to talk about) and that's Jaime. and look at the sheer ground covered in ASOS: Jaime breaks out of a dungeon, Jaime meets a younger version of himself, Jaime gets his hand hacked off, Jaime reveals his anime villain backstory in the bath, Jaime deals with Roose Bolton, Jaime has a weird weirwood dream, Jaime fights a fucking bear - and at this point we're still only about halfway through.

now in contrast, what have they actually managed to do with Daemon this season. where has that finale moment with Rhaenyra been earned. this is not slow pacing for the sake of powerful character development, it's slow because they don't have anything else to say.

and also look at the state of characters like Aemond who seemed really promising in S1, yet in this season he barely reflects on the fact that he hadn't meant to kill Luke, and this war is an accident that he started, etc etc - he's just a killing machine lol. there were some nice touches in there, like i say i enjoyed Helaena telling Aemond how he'll die in the finale. but I no longer trust these writers to do anything with their more inspired ideas because they just consistently fail to do so.

look at Baela!!! like my god, has Baela had the opportunity to do anything except A) what she's told and B) counsel men on their feelings. she has like one moment looking at Daemon and you feel like the series is going to explore how complex it is to be Daemon Targaryen's daughter.... but my god they never do!! so where IS this interiority we've spent eight episodes on! what have they got to show for it!!

and i talked more weeks back about how frustrating i've found the writing of women more generally in this series and as of the finale I am finding it so egregious and so condescending. women want peace. women want to protect their children. women are tired of men. women are tired of war. women are trying to end this war peacefully. women are pacifists. women hate violence. and so on and so on and so on like jesus christ who am i even talking about here. even i don't know. it's so boring. it's so dry. and it requires female characters to always be the paragons of virtue, never do anything truly condemnable, never be unlikeable, never fucking anything except stand around saying how much they hate this. im bored of it and it makes me angry that they would do this in a series that specifically seeks to make everyone grey and everyone complex - they keep suggesting that might extend to the women before abruptly shutting it down again. see Alicent and Rhaenyra even STILL, after EVERYTHING, trying to peacefully shut down the war for the sake of love and friendship in the goddamn finale. I don't believe it anymore!! it's not cute! it's just dull!!!

and finally that just kind of brings me to how shortsighted a lot of the plot developments seem, when you see how the characters fail to reckon with their pasts or shit that just happened. Rhaenyra and Mysaria make out, and then that's never mentioned again and the tone never changes between them. Rhaenyra is done thinking about Luke. Helaena is done thinking about Jaehaerys. Aegon actually didn't mention Jaehaerys in the list of things he's 'lost' in that finale. Alicent's relationship w Viserys was just now condensed to 'we were fond of each other but he always liked your mum better'

like idk it's just. if this season's pacing is all about giving characters the chance to change and grow into the people they'll be when this war REALLY kicks off.... do it. write it. do not just write the same monologue a dozen times and hope it'll hit harder with each. doesn't work like that. sorry.

[absolutebl]

We've had recent disappointments with the endings to series. For me, Last Twilight, Only Friends, and 23.5 stand out. While I loved the Sign to the end, there was that unexplained Tharn getting his freedom from Chalothorn, which made the very ending not quite perfect. And while I loved Century of Love all the way through, I know some folks were disappointed at the ending.

What are some QLs that you consider to have really strong endings?

OOOO what a great question!

10 BLs With the Strongest Endings

Some BLs had better endings than the rest of the show deserved, and some were saved by the ending, while still others built up to a good ending throughout. So I suspect it kinda depends on ones definition of strong. But here are mine (you'll never guess what's at the top? but...) it's in no particular order

Seven Days - no but ACTUALLY think about it. That ending is truly phenomenal. It ties everything together, gives hope for their relationship without being cheesy AND is crazy romantic, plus it brings the narrative full circle. That ending shot, the direction, the plot, the characters, and the story ALL tied in a neat little bow. It ends by indicating that something is starting for them, something familiar it's just now they are together. Fabulous.

Light On Me - on the beach, the whole friendship group, the kiss that mirrors their couple habit of cheek squiging? Peak YA BL. It reminded me of Make it Right, and that's no bad thing... for me.

Our Dating Sim - domestic boyfriends and then the pan over to all their couple photos. So exactly them.

To My Star - yeah, the sex scene, but remember this was when we finally realized that JiWoo not only liked him all along but actually desired him all along. The tsundere character breaking open for us to see the soft underbelly. Suddenly, all of his behavior made sense in retrospect. They used the final ultra romantic sex scene as a CHARACTER REVEAL. Fucking genius.

Semantic Error - the BOYFRIENDS of it all, the harken back to both the anime and the manga (with that spank bank file), the teasing and then the breaking of the forth wall. It was multiple cheeky punches out to the audience in a tiny stinger of a scene. Not to mention it had a kind of BL "ending fairy" thing that connected to them both being idols. Perfectly executed.

Love For Love's Sake - back in beach territory but wow. I mean this show starts with an ending. And it takes a lot for me to believe in the happiness of a parable about death and self worth. They managed it with this show. But that ending was killer.

My Beautiful Man - the ending made me reassess everything about the show, the story, and the characters. The ending made me love the show. It changed my mind. It BLEW my mind. I might have kinda lost my mind. In real time.

Unknown - there were struggles with this show and not everyone enjoyed the ending but I totally flipping loved it. FINALLY. You can't tell me that "you don't even know what I dream of" line doens't live in your head rent free.

Unintentional Love Story - not the ending scene so much as the whole final episode, it's so good. It brings the story together, we get multiple big realizations, sad baby, learning that baby was abused too, defending baby, baby defending himself. RINGS!

The Eighth Sense - so much peak boyfriend after so much angst. The casual language play and teasing, the stealing of the drink, just everything, and also how very very college it all is.

10 Others I just LOVE

Be Loved In House: I Do - ultra pasteurized cheese fest

Laws of Attraction - THE CAPED WEDDING OUTFITS

About Youth - rainbow kiss cheese fest

Long Time No See - BLOOD COVERED KISSES

Restart After Come Back Home - the pan around lens flare kiss and everything it MEANS

Bad Buddy - It was so CLEVER

DNA Says Love You - the claiming and then the tussle at the cafe? Gorgeous. Adorable. No notes.

Oh! Boarding House - a family gathering while the dads are holding hands behind the couch, adorable

Where Your Eyes Linger - that damn glow up

Tinted With You - perhaps... poly?

Wow... so few Thai BL. I guess this is Korea's strength in the BL sphere? Also more Japan than I expected and outsized rep for Taiwan. (I actually could have stuck a few more from Taiwan on here but they just get SO CHEESY.)

(source)

dated mid August 2024, not responsible for great endings after that date

[cloverandstuff]

To be Hero X is...so much better than I ever could have imagined.

When I initially saw clips of the show on youtube, I loved the animation style, but I was scared that the plot or even concept might be executed in a poor manner.

I was scared that I might find Lin Ling boring, and predictable. And when I saw Moon, I was even more scared of what they planned to do with her, since the clips made it seem like she would just be the tsundere stereotype.

But I was so wrong and I am so happy about that.

The concept of the whole show is so beautiful and they execute it remarkably well in the first and second episode. The artstyle only helps, with the combination of 2D and 3D helping to setup emotional beats. I managed to grasp the power system easily, but it still has the ability to remain complex (cause whenever something is based mainly on realistic emotions, it's bound to get complex)

They establish the world setting and plot setup in a very entertaining way in the first episode. The suicide is fucking hilarious, with the tone shift that it does. But it's not funny to Lin Ling, and when he has to tell anyone, he genuinely seems distraught or upset over it.

Speaking of him, Lin Ling has my sense of humour. He is shy but also just unapologetically himself. He hesitates but it's not annoying or unreasonable. He's bold when he needs to be and it doesn't feel wildly out of character.

Episode 2, however, was my favourite out of the two. Mainly cause it adds so much more flavour to the characters.

Lin Ling is a genuinely kind person who isn't just doing shit for Moon to get her to like him back. He really just wanted to make her happy, and makes the choices to achieve that, even if it isn't necessarily what he wanted.

Moon, while still having the essence of tsundere in her, proves to be kore than that. We don't know the way her relationship worked with Nice, but she hated being chained. She didn't want fame nor money. She wanted the freedom to travel. She is aggressive but she isn't cruel to Lin Ling. She acts childish and playful, and doesn't stop herself from having fun.

And her arc in that single episode? She wanted to stop being an accessory to Nice, and just be her own person. When she gets to have that, she chooses it over Lin Ling, because she know what she didn't want. She made the choice she knew would make her happiest, and Lin Ling respectdd that, even if he was upset.

(I ship them. I actually ship them so much. They deserve each other.)

Original Nice was given the justice he derseved, with it not being a case of "old hero was actually an asshole and the new guy is much better". He is complex and flawed, with many complex emotions.

I don't have OCD, but based on my undertsanding, OG Nice seemed to be a good representation of that. Suddenly having obsessive thoughts with perfection, to the point that it affects your personal life and relationships, makes sense for him. He hadn't had these thoughts before and when his powers declared he would, it affected him deeply.

His persona was not wholly fake, because he genuinely wanted to be a hero. He was mainly a performer before (with the few clips we see of his life before), and that translated into his persona.

Then we have Wreck. My god, Wreck is just so unique in the series. When he appears first, you are intentionally made to believe that he's jealous of nice and wants Moon. In fact, most of the times he shows this anger is mainly in the romantic 'scenes' between Nice and Moon.

When the wedding happens, he aims straight for Nice. Because he wants answers. He wants to kniw why none of his texts got responses. When he gets punched, he immediately knows that Nice isn't his Nice.

His character revolves mainly around a false narrative you are fed, before he outright breaks every piece. He cherishes Nice, and mourns him when he finds out about the suicide. His dreams, which began with him, seem near impossible to continue now that he's gone.

I don't know how his story will be continues, but I hope he shows up. He is a genuinely good character that I would love to see elaborated more. Especially since he is the only one left who seems to truly know Nice.

[kazzykatt]

30 Million Subscriber Q&A summary!

i didnt catch all the questions as i was writing as it was going (also english is not my first language so some things slipped, sorry about that)

Skim was also in the Q&A as he is a writer and director so i'm adding some of his answers too

now, the questions!

Q: Where was Alan in Animation vs Minecraft? A: The whole 3 seasons happened in like 4 hours and Alan isnt on his computer 24/7 so he probably was in another room or working on a laptop and leaving the sticks to their shenanigans

Q: how did Purple ended up in the mac with the villagers? A: in Alan's mind: since he came out of a thumbnail in 2011 he had like 7-8 years to live and learn. Somewhere in the journey he found a mac, minecraft, and made his little village

Q: is Animation vs Education canon in AvA/M? A: AvE was made to educate and trying to make it fit with AvA/M wouldnt make sense. it could be an alternative universe or a dream

Q: is The Dark Lord gonna come back? Alan: do you want him to come back? chat: YES (they already made a desicion. Alan: "You will see in an upcoming video")

Q: Who made stickfight.com? A: Giving how stickfigures work in the universe, some animator made them and thats how they became to be

They have a plan for Green's socials (didnt say anything more)

Q: Would they be Hatsune Miku fans? A: They get obssesed with things easy so everyone would be Hatsune Miku fans. Alan says Red maybe more than the other (Skim says Yellow)

Q: Are The Second Coming and The Chosen One meant to have a brother type relationship? A: Long lost brothers, born from the same source but they're strangers, they dont know each other

if the series keeps going Alan thinks that they might need to focus on another characters cuz there would be nothing more to tell about the main characters

Q: What would their voices sound like? A: Alan personally doesnt think they have voices (tho he say they have kinda telepathic communication) text in influencer arc is like them translating for us :o

fun fact: whooshes were made with a wood ruler fun fact: there's a short with Blue coughing, that's Skim

Q: What happens with death stickfigures? A: Their code is still there just not connected. like theyre in another dimention and its imposible for someone in the living dimention to take the code and revive them (unless they know? idk it was vague)

More adventures to come with different pairs of sticks!

Q: Favorite part about writing stories? A: Making them feel believable, real, like something that could happen (theyre really in the videogame or interacting with that person in the computer)

Q: How old are the stick figures? A: They dont have an official age, you can see them as teenagers/early 20s (because of their personalities) "is not like they're people and age the same"

Q: Do you think AvM tournament arc is a good idea? A: good idea, brainstorming something similar

Q: Would you think of making a series about TCO/TDL or slice of life of the mercenaries? A: Great ideas, would be experimenting with the shorter episodes

Q: Is AvA 12 coming this year? A: Summer if everything goes fine

Q: How Purple met King orange? A: "You've seen the tunnels conecting the outernet and the internet, thanks to the wings Purple could travel safely and meet him"

Q: When is Purple's birthday? A: Alan doesnt know and thinks Purple wouldnt know either (maybe february? Alan feels like it would be)

Q: What are the/would there be Mercenaries official names? A: Become a member to know what production calls them

Q: Least favorite Character? A: Alan is not that emotionally attached to The Chosen One (cuz he's not very emotionally developed) (they have plans for that)

Q: Favorite Episode? A: episode 30 AvM

Q: If you turn off the computer, what happens to the character? A: Think of it as when electricity goes off. Is dark, is cold, nothing works, cant interact with anything. They probably just sleep.

Q: Is AvA/M same universe? A: Same universe, they happen offset of each other (like an alternative path created after discovering minecraft). Sometimes AvA is first, sometimes they happen at the same time (very messy timelines ngl)

Q: Would Mitsi be revived? A: We will see

Alan doesnt play among us (idk random chat question hehe)

Q: Are you planning another series? something different? A: Theyre gonna try with the minisodes

Q: Why are there so many Green episodes and little of the others? (concert, influencer arc, prank) A: They had the ideas before deciding who, is coincidence. They want to even it out.

Q: Why are newer AvM so childish? A: Alan didnt see them as childish and a lot of the audience are children (younger than 30) so

Q: Who made Corndog guy? A: Skim did and he is sorry

Q: Was AvM season 3 planned from the start or was it made as it was going? A: It was a skeleton and got stuff added (like the Warden was added as soon as they knew about it) (Alan contacted the creator of the Warden and he didnt answer until after the episode released lol) The golden apple was a placeholder for whatever the Warden dropped

Q: Will King's son come back? A: Do you want to? (another poll, chat was very divided) "thank you for the feedback" and said nothing more

Alan has cried after watching the finished animation (cried with King and Victim's stories)

Q: Has the story changed? A: Yes, Alan didnt plan to do more after AvA 1

Q: How long did it take to write AvM season 3? A: It took months. Alan got ideas while watching Avengers. King is inspired in Thanos and Purple in Loki

Q: What are some quirks the sticks have? A: Green likes udon noodles and listens to daft punk. Yellow could be into rubiks cube, Blue could be superstitious (horoscopes and astrology), Red has the most ADHD so whatever people with ADHD do. There's nothing "official" and we fans can give them some.

Q: Character you relate the most? A: Alan: The Second Coming. He's he older brother/father figure. Little silly and wants to stay home all day. Skim relates to Victim (connected while writing him.) Quiet and wants to keep occupied with work, has problems relating with people but gets stuff done

Q: How long does it take to make an AvA episode? A: Depends, last one took a year (because of all the new things) 6-8 months if everything goes fine (theyre working on AvA 13 as well)

Q: Is Purple part of the group now? A: Kinda. Like the friend who doesnt live there but visits a lot

Q: Why the name Mitsi? A: Someone sugested reverse Victim's name and change some letters

Q: If you could rewrite someone who would it be? A: Bob

Q: Would there be scary videos? A: Yeah? (kids like scary so maybe?)

Q: Episode you're most proud of? A: Right now Animation vs Adiction

Q: Upcoming video you're excited the most? A: (to avoid spoilers they mentioned the bedwars episode and Alan is excited for the next season of AvM) (Skim is excited for AvA 12&13 and said they're kinda like 2 parts of the same episode 👀)

Q: Would you upgrade to Windows 11? A: Is in discussion

Q: Are there gonna be new characters introduced? A: In AvM maybe, in AvA there's room for that, dont know about mayor characters

Q: Why the sticks dont talk? A: It was unintentional but it turned out fine. no script, no lipsync, no voice actors, more international audience

Q: Animation vs Roblox? A: they have no idea how to do it. it had to be a series and each episode they play different famous games (dont get your hopes up for this one)

Q: When are the mini episodes coming out? A: soon

Q: How rich is corndog guy? A: Not rich enough

[urautismdiagnosis-wistie]

Captain Barnacles my beloved (click for higher quality)

<reblogs appreciated :>

My glorious man, my most wonderful guy ever

random thoughts about him under the cut

Sob I'm so many years behind in octonauts episodes I'm barely scratching the iceberg lmso but my general vibe of octonauts above and beyond so far is that "Holy Sht Global Warming" and also My tiny Friends Have Grown!! Like dude I'm so proud of them all lol

Honestly to me the captain is just in his 30s, somewhere in there, idk what his role is in the found family (father figure?? big brother???) but honestly I adore his relationships with each of the octonauts (esp with dashi ahahhagugugh!!!! and peso too augdhbf Theyre so precious he's so proud of them) I love how he and tweak just get eachother and kwazii is just like His Favorite Little Guy??? and shellington, my god-

Like this guy just adopts everything in sight istg- <3

Im starting to realize that either my autism is blinding me or maybe he's autistic too and like??? Theater kid ahhh playing the accordion and bursting into song?? Mr "I am so full of obsession and love for all of this and all of you", Mr " I got my gup struck by lightning, my arm crushed by a clam, stung by a jellyfish, nearly attacked by barracadas, thrown around violently on the back of a wall, crashed into a sunken ship, and then nearly drowned and Hahaha Yes Im Fine did you all need anything?" LIKE SIR???

Also you just know he went out and got his whole nautical fit, with the hat and everything, and just went "oh crap I cant be the only one uhhhh" and then gave EVERYONE THE CUTEST FREAKING MATCHING HATS!!!

this guy had dreams and they're coming true and all his dreams are BEAUTIFUL-

also my partner was helping me figure out his design and went "omg am I just helping u make him a dilf" and I went "nah we making him a papi" and like damn cuz- sobbing can you tell the conversation happened at A Late Hour At Night.

i gave him a single lower lash this sticks out stylishly and totally didn't give him natural polar bear eyeshadow, I also like to think that he's somewhere on the aro ace spectrum but that might just be me projecting lol

ignore the pic of a compass I stole btw that doesn't matter

i think the design might still have some room for improvement so if I've made it this far lmk if u think it could use any fun touches

(also this guys body type KILLED ME it took me sooo many tries)

ᵃˡˢᵒ ᶦᵏ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵇᵃʳⁿᵃᶜˡᵉˢ ⁿᵃᵐᵉ ᶦˢ ᵏᶦⁿᵈᵃ ʳᶦᵈᶦᶜᵘˡᵒᵘˢ ᵗᵒ ᵃˡᵒᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ, ᵇᵘᵗ ᶦᶠ ᵘ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᶦᵗ, ᵇʸ ᵖᶦʳᵃᵗᵉ ˢᵗᵃⁿᵈᵃʳᵈˢ ᶦᵗ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵇᵉ ᵃ ᵛᵉʳʸ ˢᶦᶜᵏ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶦⁿᵗᶦᵐᶦᵈᵃᵗᶦⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵖᵒʷᵉʳᶠᵘˡ ⁿᵃᵐᵉ. ᶜᵘᶻ ʸᵏ, ᵏᵉᵉˡʰᵃᵘˡᶦⁿᵍ…

i bet he misses bianca alot poor guy,

also here's my most cursed head canon: he's a polar bear and is often in very warm environments, so y'all think he just like.... cuts and thins his fur?

Im so sorry y'all but I can just imagine him at 2 am just crying next to a pile of his own fur because oh God this is so hard, I imagine the whole process of doing that to ur whole body routinely with tools that break is probably similar to the process of undoing protecting braids for folks who have afro textured hair, but I wouldn know personally I've just heard how much the process can be time consuming and be kinda tiring 0-0

Also I cant believe I haven't mentioned this yet but I think he's like 8 feet tall, which compared to most of his crew being at smallest 4.7 to 5.8 he's just huge compared to them XD. I tried to make like conversions based on irl animals and etc, but the captain is like literally The Tallest A Person Can Be. Like y'all know polar bears are The Largest and Tallest pawed mammals to exist??? like 13 feet tall irl

im just so proud of him he is so compassionate and supportive and cares so much about everyone and everything-

fanny pouch ahh belt

[another-goblin]

Let's examine some of the less talked about aspects of Dr. Ratio's relationship with the Genius Society as a character.

1. Did he really want to get into the GS?

The answer is, of course, a resounding yes! Or a confident no. Depending on who you ask. But what's the evidence?

The only direct evidence I could think of is this line from his pre-release interview on Hoyolab.

And whether or not it counts depends on whether you consider this kind of stuff canon (some people don't, since it's not in the game).

But at most, for me, it feels like an admission of a normal thing most young scientists would probably say (before he got completely disilusioned in the path of Erudition in particular and the divinity of the Aeons in general).

Like a young person who first gets into a sport might think about winning the Olympics. It doesn't feel like a passionate dream (the anime-esque "I'll dedicate my life to becoming a Genius whatewer it costs me").

What else do we have? His in-game fans' speculations and his former secretary's interpretation of a seemingly insignificant event (strictly speaking, that episode doesn't actually mean anything, let alone prove his wish to become a member of the GS. You can read me ranting about it here )

So the popular idea that his inability to attract Nous' gaze played a big role in his life and psyche seems more like a fan-popular headcanon (that might be the intended interpretation, but still a HC) than a strict reading of the canon. But who can blame us? This man desperately needed a personal inner conflict, and we kind of invented it.

2. What was the narrative point of making him not a member of the GS? What would have changed if he were a Genius?

I'm still not sure.

What distinguishes him from the Geniuses?

Is it the idea that the GS members only do their science for the sake of Nous? And aquire knowledge for the sake of it?

But we have Stephen, who invents things for fun. We have Chadvick, who built that weapon out of hubris. We have Herta, who kind of treats Nous as an equal. We have Dr. Primitive, who just does whatever because he's evil (what's the scientific value of turning people into monkeys?). Or that guy (forgot his name) who seemed to genuinely care about humanity. None of them seem fanatically dedicated to Erudition.

And we have Polka, who seems to be even more of a hater of what GS stands for than Ratio.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a Genius Ratio who saw all the problems with Erudition after he joined, got disillusioned and turned into what he's now, and who's just miserable about it all the time? Because becoming a GS member seems to be a one-way road. How ironic would it be for a genius to preach the idea of how people should not rely on geniuses?

But maybe they didn't make him a Genius to be able to make him join the Intelligentsia Guild?

But the only purpose of that seems to be his connection to Aventurine (the IG being partners with the IPC).

Otherwise, he doesn't represent the IG's values at all. He doesn't see knowledge as a commodity. (He even got angry at Sunday for expecting him to exchange the knowledge of Aventurine's plans for some knowledge on Stellarons). In most cases, all the other characters are very typical representatives of their factions. But in his case I'm not sure why he's in the IG either. Probably just a faction for him to belong to, because we can't have a character who doesn't belong to a world or a faction.

The only potentially interesting thing I can see about the IG is him being a member of the Council of Mundenites. But they did literally nothing with it. Although I still hope that they will (but who am I kidding, with the amount of ongoing plotlines and the new ones they establish left and right, they just won't have time for that)

Btw the IG in general seems like a lot of wasted potential. They had a whole SU update dedicated to it, and they did basically nothing interesting with it. But it's a topic for another discussion.

3. Why didn't he attract the gaze of Nous?

The game doesn't give us any strict criteria of how Nous chooses people, so we can only speculate. I know there are a ton of theories, but they are still theories (I think the one that's supposed to be correct is something about him caring more about helping people help themselves than doing science for the sake of it, but it has been discussed to death already).

But I never saw people talking about my favorite theory, and my main takeaway from Unknowable Domain - the mind-blowing discrepansy between the intellegence of a Genius and that of a very smart normal person. (How Patavia, one of the best IG's scientists, wasn't a match for Herta even with Patavia's intelligence multiplied tens of thousands of times by the scepters).

Which tells me that the intelligence required to become a member of the GS isn't a matter of just being smart or studying hard, but rather a matter of being born a VERY special person. I mean, if you were born an ant, no amount of training would make you as strong as an elephant.

Let's take Stephen Lloyd, a kid who's mostly busy working in his dad's fruit stall and playing video games all day long and sometimes just effortlessly inventing mind-blowing technology in his free time, basically for fun. I don't remember any mentions of his education either. And let's compare him to child Ratio from his professor's recollections. How he worked his ass off from a young age, basically sacrificing his childhood, only to just skip a couple of grades and get into uni early.

And if my interpretation is true, it could play very well into the underlying topic of predeterminism/destiny/fatalism vs. freedom/unknowability the game establishes.

This would turn Ratio's rather simplistic supposed inner conflict of "boo-hoo, senpai Nous didn't notice me and didn't invite me into their cool kids club" into something much more interesting: Dr. Ratio, whose whole life goal seems to be about helping people take the responsibility for their lives into their own hands and stop counting on the higher powers, realizing that the biggest dream of his life could never come true and literally no human or inhuman amount of efforts would get him here. He would never achieve something others can do effortlessly just because he wasn't destined to.

The other interpretation works too: there are mentions of the Geniuses "communing" with Nous after attracting their gaze, so maybe their inhuman intelligence is partly the result of that. Not being able to achieve by hard work and sheer dedication what others just receive from a deity would clash nicely with his "anti-theist" philosophy too. Or maybe explain his current views. I mean, there is a certain sarcastic reverence in how he talks about Geniuses, distinguishing them from humans as a separate category.

What's ironic and kind of sad is that the game proves him wrong over and over again. I mean, who are the most powerful characters, both in-universe and in terms of meta? It's not normal humans who worked hard. Normal humans do nothing but wait to be saved by supernaturally or technologically enhanced beings (mostly us). And sometimes even by Veritas "Normal Person" Ratio himself.